2023-09-26 00:31:12
At the beginning of the evening, Tarek Al-Wazir (The Greens) expresses a wish. The election campaign is going well. But he would like to make it clear to voters that the Hessian state elections on October 8th mean a decision for Wiesbaden and not Berlin. But federal politics cannot be ignored even in the conversation between the top candidates Boris Rhein (CDU), Nancy Faeser (SPD) and Al Wazir, which the station Hit Radio FFH and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung have invited to the FAZ Tower on Monday evening.
Finally, the Federal Minister of the Interior sits on the podium – and the federal and state governments continue to argue about who will cover the costs of accepting and caring for refugees. “Help the municipalities with money and limit migration,” demands Prime Minister Rhein von Faeser. This has previously pointed out the successes of the veil search. And that she had ordered the checkpoints in Bavaria. Because of the mountains, they make more sense there than in areas such as the borders with the Czech Republic and Poland. But there will also be stationary checks in some places there in addition to the veil search, the Federal Minister of the Interior announced. “We need a Europe-wide agreement and a solidarity-based distribution in Europe.”
“The key lies at the external borders”
If the police have evidence of a crime, they have to check, says Al-Wazir. “We have to bring order back to migration,” said the Green candidate, adding that it is currently going on in a disorderly manner. He also wants a European solution. “The key lies in the external borders.” The internal borders in Europe must remain open.
Who would you choose?
The state elections in Hesse will take place on October 8, 2023. Compare the parties’ answers with your positions.
The exchange of blows becomes particularly heated when it comes to money. The federal government has made 15 billion euros available for refugee accommodation, says Faeser. “The topic is not suitable to be misused for the election campaign.” Rhein reminds us of the states’ demands for funding that is based on the number of refugees. Today the federal-state working group on financing the costs failed due to a provocation from the federal government. “This is an attack on the communal family.” Al-Wazir does not expect a solution until after the election campaign. “Then everyone has to come together, even across party lines.”
The questions from FFH editor-in-chief Eva Burkert and Ewald Hetrodt, state political correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung, also reveal differences between the top candidates in energy policy. Hetrodt confronts the Green Economics Minister with Hesse’s lower ranking when it comes to charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. There are 30 cars per charging station, compared to just 15 in Saxony. “It’s not the state that builds the charging stations,” replies Al-Wazir. “Perhaps there will be more electric cars here.” But it is important that the path to electric cars has been decided. “I don’t want the German car industry to end up in a museum.”
Open
State election in Hesse 2023: These candidates want to govern Hesse Image: dpa
Prime Minister Rhine, on the other hand, is calling for the combustion engine to be improved. “The combustion engine will continue to be used.” He believes that phasing out the technology would be fatal. After all, the production of a battery is also dirty. “We must not squander 125 years of technological advantage.” While Rhein wants “not fewer, but better cars,” SPD top candidate Faeser, like Al-Wazir, points to China, the most important sales market, where Volkswagen has lost its leading position due to demand for electric cars. Electric cars have to be affordable, says Faeser. “The German ones are too expensive.”
Rhein also relies on research when it comes to energy supply. Yes, speed is needed in the fight against the climate crisis, he answers a question from Burkert. This includes the expansion of wind power and a 100,000 roof program for photovoltaics. But phasing out nuclear power was also a serious mistake. A return is possible and “would be right”. In addition, new energy sources must be developed, such as laser-based nuclear fusion. The CDU has had 25 years and now Hesse is far behind in wind power and solar technology, accuses him of Faeser and advocates compensation packages to cushion energy costs. Al-Wazir announces that there should be no more new buildings without photovoltaics. “This is the best opportunity because the scaffolding is already in place.” Cheap loans that are repaid with electricity savings could help with financing.
Ewald Hetrodt Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 8 Daniel Meuren Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 13 Published/Updated: Recommendations: 3
All three candidates want to make more teachers available for schools, even if the SPD challenger criticized Rhine’s success report about the peak of 64,000 teaching positions because Hesse had not published how many of them had been filled. In any case, the Hessian middle school students can look forward to tablet computers – both Faeser and Rhein want to equip them with these. And while the Prime Minister wants to prevent the SPD’s uniform school plans, which, according to Faeser, were not even planned by the SPD, Al-Wazir does not appear statesmanlike for the only time: “You can see that the Hessian Greens have ensured school peace.”
In the end, the question of finding a majority after October 8th remains. For them, a traffic light is just one of several options, says Faeser. The Prime Minister urgently warns that every vote for a traffic light party increases the risk of this happening. At the same time, Rhein praises the functioning coalition with the Greens and expresses respect for “Social Democracy” as the party with the most tradition. Al-Wazir also only commits himself to one point: “Whoever elects me gets me.”
#State #election #Hesse #Faeser #talks #migration