People are relocating from one place to another. - Wüst demands direction from the Chancellor, sparking commotion within the Greens.
Hendrik Wüst, the Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia, has lightened up in his job after three years of service. He initially seemed stiff and wooden in his speeches. Now, he's ready with a joke and comes across as a reliable regional leader. Wüst spoke at the summer press conference in Düsseldorf on Thursday. He didn't hold back his criticism of the traffic light coalition. He closely examined their policies on immigration and the "pitiful" Cannabis Law.
He also responded forcefully against CDU's Federal Party Chairperson Friedrich Merz on the matter of collaboration with the Left Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht. None of the journalists asked about his readiness to be a Chancellor candidate in this hour-long session. Apart from Merz, Wüst and CSU's Markus Söder are among the probable Union Chancellor candidates. Wüst would have most likely answered the same as he has done before: The Chancellor issue would be addressed after the approaching elections in Eastern Germany.
During the conference, a rift emerged between Wüst and his own Green partners on Afghanistan. Normally, the black-green coalition in NRW praises their peaceful working. It was unexpected when the Greens openly disputed Wüst.
The Greens criticized Wüst on Afghanistan
In response to a violent stabbing attack on a policeman by a 25-year-old Afghan in Mannheim, Wüst asked for his deportation to Afghanistan and negotiations with the governing Taliban. The federal government, the Greens declared, would have to "bite the sour apple" and communicate with the Taliban to facilitate the return of such people.
However, Wüst's Green coalition co-worker thinks otherwise. Verena Schäffer, the leader of the Green parliamentary fraction, said, "Given the current evaluation of the Interior Ministry, deportations to Afghanistan due to the human rights and security situation are prohibited under constitutional law." "Talking with the Taliban about relocating criminals is not only bolstering a brutal Islamist terrorist group, but may also decide credibility for them," she emphasized. She added that her opposition was also about terror risks coming from there. After the Mannheim attack, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) threatened that he would make it possible to deport severe offenders to Afghanistan and Syria once more.
Migration: Scholz's "last exit"
Wüst requested of Scholz to put forward specific strategies for controlled immigration to Germany in the approaching Bund-Länder-Talks. Scholz needs to demonstrate that he's putting forward plans for efficient handling and security on the topic of immigration, Wüst affirmed. He called for a speeding up of plans for asylum procedures in third countries outside the EU. It's not about Rwanda, Wüst noted. "For asylum procedures, countries on the European continent outside the EU are also considered," he stated. For the Minister Presidents' Conference on June 20, he expects the reports from the expert exchange of the Federal Government to be presented to the states, and the process to progress. "We really need a clear policy from the Federal Government on this matter," Wüst demanded.
Wüst ranted about the "horrendous" Cannabis Law
When it comes to his own affairs, Wüst became quite passionate on the issue of the Cannabis Law. He deemed it "really not an instance of great statesmanship." Nevertheless, NRW will implement the limited release of cannabis in accordance with the law. "But why, in the name of God, was an instant amnesty required? Why, in the name of God, was it required to be done so swiftly?", he asked. For NRW alone, over 70,000 cases in the justice system would have to be reprocessed retrospectively. "This is politics that overlooks the situation. This is politics that's being done behind the backs of those who have to carry it out," Wüst lambasted. He described the situation bluntly, "Honestly speaking, we're faking it, after this dreadful legislation that wasn't even necessary in the first place." NRW is scheduled to implement the Cannabis Law, but "I've rarely seen anything as moderate - and I'm being polite about it." Cannabis possession, private cultivation, and even consumption in public are permitted for adults aged eighteen years and older starting April 1, 2023, under certain conditions.
Following the dismissal of a coalition with the Left Party (BSW) in the Bundestag, Wüst does not rule out collaboration with the BSW on a state-wide level. However, they are in agreement that a partnership at a federal level is not an option. A state-wide partnership, according to Wüst, needs careful scrutiny, and in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), the Wagenknecht Party is not a concern. In states where it matters the most, colleagues will make the best decisions. The BSW received 4.4% in the European election in NRW and 6.2% nationwide. Ex-mayor of Düsseldorf, Thomas Geisel, who is now a BSW member, was the party's representative for the European Parliament from NRW, and he is not a reason to build "fundamental walls."
A Push for Federal Participation in Debt Settlement
Wüst urged the Bund to take part in the debt settlement. "We require a clear stance from the Federal Government on this matter," he stated. "We cannot carry on like this. We need a solution for the debt problem as soon as possible. We cannot burden the next generation with this debt. We require a solution that's fair for everyone, and that is why I appeal to the Federal Government to join the debt settlement."
Per the latest update by the NRW state government to ease the burden on communities from their billions in debt, Wuest advocates for federal participation. "That's on the cards," he asserted. Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) has established key aspects of the outdated debt rule for communes, which NRW recognizes as the foundation for detailed discussions. "So I'm anticipating the federal government to partake in this process."
The NRW administration aims to aid communities burdened with massive debts for the next 30 years, totaling 7.5 billion Euros from state funds. From 2025, it's proposed to set aside 250 million Euros annually in the budget for this purpose. The federal government is expected to match the allocation, providing an annual budget of 500 million Euros. The Traffic Light Coalition's coalition agreement promised assistance for communes in addressing their old debt issues. However, there's no official response from the federal government, according to Wuest. "There's not even a significant unofficial response."
Who bears the cost?
Despite the precarious financial situation of the state and the industry's call for billion-dollar special funds to eliminate the investment hold-up for local authorities in Germany, Wuest is reluctant to touch the debt brake. "We can't afford to allow everything to collapse, but what can we afford in debts?", Wuest asked. Nonetheless, for the majority of federal states like NRW, the possibility of employing the so-called conjunctural component for credits exists, as they need to be repaid in full during upturns. "This illustrates that something similar is possible within the debt brake."
Facing worse tax revenue predictions, NRW takes advantage of the exceptions to the legal debt brake and plans to take out more debt through the conjunctural component. Following examinations, the anticipated tax incomes for 2024 are projected to be around 1.2 billion Euros lower than initially estimated in the fall. For 2025, the drop is expected to be about 1.3 billion Euros.
