Solingen attack: A turning point for the state elections in Saxony and Thuringia?
Solingen attack: A turning point for the state elections in Saxony and Thuringia?
The politically explosive situation in Germany has accepted new dimensions with a fatal knife attack in Solingen. This presumably Islamist act not only demands a person's lives, but also led to a heated debate about asylum law and security measures, especially with regard to the upcoming state elections in Saxony and Thuringia. Political actors use these emotions and worry about sharpening their positions and gaining voting.
In the following discussion about migration policy, CDU boss Friedrich Merz made clear demands. He argues for a stop of refugees from Syria and Afghanistan to improve the security situation and show the voters that he is able to act. Merz even proposed a realignment of migration policy, which could take place without the support of the traffic light partners Greens and FDP. This statement is particularly weighty because it is almost equivalent to a call to the coalition break.
reactions to merz ’strategy
The answer to Merz 'attitude was quick and clear. Politicians from the Greens and the SPD criticized him sharply and accused him of taking advantage of the situation in order to position themselves better in the election campaign. Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir commented on this on TV and called for a factual argument that should not be directed by party political interests. He also pointed out that many of the changes in the law in the asylum area have already been decided together and the problems are not due to misconceptions, but rather to a defective application of the existing laws by responsible authorities.
The SPD politicians also agree on their concerns that this debate does not meet the current state elections. Dirk Wiese, a domestic politician of the SPD, was concerned about the possibility that such political maneuvers could serve to undermine confidence in the democratic institutions. According to him, a different approach should be chosen in such a sensitive topic than she suggests.
On the other hand, FDP boss Christian Lindner shows a different perspective. While his party colleagues also call for a factual discussion, he is open to Merz 'suggestions and calls them sensible. This could indicate the increasing probability that the FDP would like to work with the CDU in these topics rather than with the Greens and the SPD. Lindner sees the need to anchor a new realism in the migration of the federal and state governments and his party ready to support non -partisan efforts in this area.
In the middle of this political turbulence, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has meanwhile made it clear that the individual right to asylum in Germany remains untouched. In a statement from the ZDF "Today Journal" he emphasized that this was anchored in the Basic Law and that no politician could question it, while the debate about faster tightening of weapons right through the incidents in Solingen increases in intensity. Scholz thus emphasizes the importance of the legal framework, even if the citizens have justified questions about security.