2023-09-27 11:38:40
Federal Finance Minister and FDP leader Christian Lindner has promised that Germany will support a reorganization of the EU’s migration policy. The Greens’ concerns could hopefully be overcome. Germany should not block a “responsible compromise,” Lindner demanded during a visit to the FAZ’s political editorial team. The envisaged solution would, among other things, enable better protection of the EU’s external border. Berlin is currently on the brakes in Brussels because of concerns about reforming the so-called crisis mechanism: The Greens in particular are insisting on extensive exceptions, which, from the perspective of most EU states, would make planned fast-track procedures for asylum seekers at the external borders less effective.
For Lindner, given the high number of migrants arriving in Germany, it is now about “maintaining social peace”. In addition, the costs of illegal migration are an unacceptable burden on public budgets.
Lindner said: “We can no longer accept that since the Merkel government’s refugee policy, control of access to our society has been lost.” Germany must decide sovereignly who is invited to “seek their fortune in our labor market” or with whom one is in solidarity for “humanitarian reasons”. Lindner further explained that he was examining a mechanism to prevent transfers of asylum seekers to their home countries. Such transfers promoted smuggling crime.
The financial support required by the federal states for the accommodation of refugees is still the subject of discussions. However, the federal government is already making a major contribution by including Ukrainians in the citizens’ benefit system. These costs would otherwise lie with the states.
“Fundamentally different basic positions” in the traffic lights
The finance minister emphasized that the government had achieved a “fiscal turnaround”. Because after the pandemic and energy crisis, the national debt ratio is falling again. “Many people, from the Greens to the CDU heads of government, want to remove the debt brake. But with more spending on credit, inflation would be fueled,” said Lindner. Nevertheless, there would be record levels of investment through prioritization in the budget.
The three parties in the traffic light coalition entered the government together out of responsibility for the country – also because the CSU terminated its allegiance to Armin Laschet after the election. However, these are parties with “fundamentally different basic positions”. He does not blame the green coalition partners for pursuing their goals. Conversely, freedom and respect for property and performance are core values of the FDP. He would stand up for them – even in a dispute if necessary. “I would rather be criticized for fighting for our convictions than for having given them up,” said Lindner during his visit to the FAZ
Justus Bender, Jochen Buchsteiner, Konrad Schuller and Rüdiger Soldt Published/Updated: Recommendations: 136 Thomas Gutschker, Brussels Published/Updated: Recommendations: 88 A comment from Jasper von Altenbockum Published/Updated: Recommendations: 482
The traffic light still has a lot to do before the federal election in two years. The aim is to “free the country from bureaucratic shackles” and simplify “excessively long planning procedures”. Germany also needs an ideology-free “climate and energy policy”. Instead of subsidies such as the industrial electricity price, bans or bureaucracy, he supports the market economy instrument of CO2 pricing. Lindner wants to pay their income back to the citizens. “We can technically pay out climate money per capita from 2025. If I have my way, we will reduce subsidies and use this social compensation mechanism.” He will promote this.
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