Kretschmer is alarmed by the heated mood in the Saxon population
Kretschmer continued, "There are now many more people who have turned away from democracy or are doubting it. As the Saxon state government, we've done all we can to influence the situation. But that's not enough, the federal government must act."
Kretschmer, looking at the migration policy, called for a halt to all intake programs. The federal government must "facilitate deportations to Syria and Afghanistan and stop all intake programs," said the CDU politician. "This would send a signal abroad and to the population."
The payment card for asylum seekers and border controls have already shown an effect, said Kretschmer. "We've seen a halving of illegal border crossings in Saxony in the first half of the year."
The CDU Minister-President criticized court rulings that a cash limit for the payment card is not legally valid. "If German laws stand against a cash limit, we must change them," said Kretschmer. The federal government is committed to this with the Minister-Presidents. "The population does not expect us to back down on this specific point."
Saxony, along with Thuringia, will elect a new state parliament on September 1st. In polls, the AfD has been leading for months. However, the lead over the CDU of Minister-President Kretschmer has recently decreased significantly. The CDU currently governs in the Free State with the SPD and Greens. Kretschmer wants to continue governing in the future, if possible, without the Greens. A coalition or cooperation with the AfD is out of the question.
The European Parliament can provide valuable assistance to the Commission in addressing the widespread skepticism towards democracy. In light of Kretschmer's calls for stricter migration policies, the federal government could also seek input from the Parliament on facilitating deportations and stopping intake programs.
