Angela Merkel returns for the first time after her term in office with a TV interview – and how! The former German CDU chancellor has opposed political profiling at the expense of migrants and is therefore clearly against the strict asylum policy of her successor Friedrich Merz. The head of the Union recently made headlines with strong statements against asylum seekers.
Merkel (CDU) emphasized in an interview for the ZDF documentary ‘Am Puls mit Mitri Sirin’ that everyone who lives permanently in Germany also belongs to Germany. It is “yet another new task that we are taking on. “Germany includes everyone.”
Memories of Merkel’s ‘We can do it’ course
These words are reminiscent of Merkel’s famous statement “We can do it” in the middle of the first asylum crisis in 2015. For example, during her time in office she always said about people with Turkish roots in Germany: “I am their Chancellor.” .”
Merkel distances herself from the AfD voters
Merkel showed no understanding for the AfD electorate in this context. She understands when people are angry about certain things, but she doesn’t accept it when someone supports ideas that for her have nothing to do with tolerance. “I would always argue against that and say that in this democratic society you can also express your criticism and anger in other ways,” Merkel said.
“If you’re making a name for yourself, so to speak, at the expense of other people, including people who look different and people with different biography, I don’t understand that,” she continued. The interview will be broadcast on ZDF on Tuesday, on German Unity Day.
“Social tourism”, “Little pashas”, “Having your teeth redone”
Her statements also clearly delineate Friedrich Merz, her successor as CDU leader. A year ago he accused Ukrainian refugees of ‘social tourism’. They would go to Germany, back to Ukraine, to Germany and back to Ukraine again. A moment later he rowed back. About nine months ago, the CDU leader called students of Arab descent ‘little pashas’. He also qualified this statement a little later.
Last episode: His statement about migrants and dentist appointments. “They sit at the doctor’s office and get their teeth replaced, and the German citizens next door don’t get appointments,” Merz said on television station Welt. This accusation did not pass a fact check.
Criticism of Merz within the CDU is growing
Even within the CDU, dissatisfaction with Merz is now growing. The accusation: Merz is not objective, he spreads fake news. And above all: his strategy failed.
AfD ranks second in national surveys
Former Saarland Prime Minister Tobias Hans tweeted: “This contribution to the debate does not take us any further. As democrats, we must discuss matters objectively and responsibly and not fuel negative feelings further or even spread untruths. Even if I repeat myself: this will not make the AfD any smaller.” In national surveys, the “Alternative for Germany” – depending on the institute – is 21 percent and higher.
Political scientist: “Merz sounds like the AfD”
Political scientist Karl-Rudolf Korte also shares this assessment. He accuses Merz of sounding like the AfD, but from a strategic point of view that cannot be successful. “Welfare chauvinism, demarcation and exclusion are stylistic devices of populists, not of bourgeois parties,” Korte told ZDF. And added: “If the language of the political center is no longer different from that of the AfD, why should disappointed centrist voters not vote for the AfD?”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
