- The Authority has been tasked with drafting a proposal for a guideline focusing on safeguarding laborers from potential hazards stemming from ionizing radiation exposure.
Bavaria's Head of Government, Markus Söder, advocated for a tougher deportation policy for rejected asylum seekers in Germany after the incident in Solingen. He stated, "An asylum seeker without a legitimate claim to asylum, they need to leave the country." The leader of the CSU party spoke on the ARD platform "Ask Yourself" where citizens can ask politicians questions online. The responses were broadcast via ARD's social media channels.
In a summer interview on the ARD program "Report from Berlin", Söder expressed, "We feel that the migration issue is escalating beyond our control." Germany is struggling with integration. Changes in laws are needed immediately.
Increased security through increased control
Criminals should be immediately detained and deported, particularly to Syria and Afghanistan. "The fact is straightforward: We must be more consistent," Söder said. "We must give the police more authority to carry out checks." He also supported random checks, such as in pedestrian zones. "This will result in more security." An enhanced border police force, akin to the one Bavaria maintains in addition to the federal police for border security, should be implemented nationwide. The Bavarian Border Police has been responsible for thousands of arrests.
Söder identified the Union's migration policy around 2015 as the weak point of Chancellor Angela Merkel's (CDU) term in office. Since then, significant improvements and changes have been made.
"Sad Chancellor Scholz"
Söder does not believe the federal government can alter its migration policy. Currently, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) cannot secure a majority within his government. "Basically, Olaf Scholz - if we are honest - is already a sad chancellor," Söder said.
Söder decried the AfD's attempt to exploit the Solingen incident for political gain in the upcoming elections in Thuringia and Saxony as "unprincipled and disgusting." "The AfD may benefit from it and make a profit from it," he said. "All the more crucial it is that we now clean up and speak plainly."
Söder ruled out cooperation between the Union and the AfD after the upcoming elections in Thuringia and Saxony, but not with the Left or the alliance of Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW). "I would give Mario Voigt and Michael Kretschmer all the freedom to decide, except with the AfD," Söder said in the ARD summer interview. Voigt is the CDU’s top candidate for the Thuringia state election on September 1, while Kretschmer (CDU) wants to be re-elected as Minister-President in Saxony on the same day.
Merz does not want to collaborate with the Left
The CDU has a policy against working with the Left. Party leader Friedrich Merz wants to maintain this position. Former East German Minister-President and Left politician Bodo Ramelow expressed surprise that the Union would not rule out cooperation with Sahra Wagenknecht, but would rule out cooperation with him.
Söder accused Wagenknecht of intentionally acting destructively in Ukraine policy. It is not expected that Russia's President Vladimir Putin will halt his aggression if he has already occupied Ukraine. The Union will continue its policy of supporting Ukraine with weapon deliveries, Söder stated in the summer interview.
A coalition with BSW at the federal level is "completely impossible."
A coalition of the Union with the BSW at the federal level is, according to their own statement, unimaginable for Söder as well as a coalition with the Greens. He also reaffirmed his rejection of a Black-Green coalition. "Black-Green won't work with me, that's something everyone can rely on," said the CSU leader.
At the state level, the essential questions are: Who will enter the state parliament? Who are the negotiating partners? Söder personally sees a cooperation with Wagenknecht even at the state level as "very challenging." Therefore, it is all the more crucial that the Union performs well.
According to current polls, the involvement of the BSW in government in both Saxony and Thuringia is one of the mathematically feasible alternatives for forming a majority without the AfD. The AfD state associations in both federal states are classified by the domestic intelligence service as securely right-wing extremist.
Söder criticized the federal government's Ukraine policy for its hesitation. "The turning point has become a fairy tale," he said. Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) is struggling without success. Söder advocated for more funding for defense, the reintroduction of conscription, and a drone strategy for Germany.
During the summer, Söder suggested implementing a national border police force modeled after Bavaria's for enhanced security, stating, "This will result in more security." Furthermore, at a party event, he emphasized the importance of consistent policies, saying, "We must be more consistent in our actions."
