2024-02-14 15:42:04
At the end of the carnival season, politicians also have their say. In several federal states they invite people to political Ash Wednesday. The most important speeches here in the live blog.
The most important things at a glance
Whether carnival, carnival or carnival: At the meetings and parades of the clubs, politicians and officials are subjected to humorous criticism. At the end of the carnival season, the tide turns and the parties themselves invite people to political Ash Wednesday in several federal states. This year the focus is likely to be on the upcoming European elections, the work of the traffic light government and how to deal with the AfD.
Follow the speeches by top politicians from the CSU, CDU, Free Voters, SPD, Greens, FDP and Left as well as AfD and, for the first time this year, by the newly founded Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) party in the live blog:
Wagenknecht: Traffic light “most dangerous government in Europe”
1:59 p.m.: Party founder Sahra Wagenknecht is sharply attacking the federal government over spending on armaments and arms aid for Ukraine. She has already described the traffic light coalition as the stupidest government in Europe, says Wagenknecht at the political Ash Wednesday in Passau. But she had to add: “We also have the most dangerous government in Europe, and that too is something that cannot continue like this.”
The “manslaughter argument” will be used if no further arms are upgraded and no more weapons are delivered to Ukraine, then “the Russians are at the door,” says the former left-wing politician, who founded the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance at the beginning of January. This is probably a primal fear of the Germans. “I wonder, how stupid do they think we are?”
The Russian army was unable to take Kiev after the attack on Ukraine in 2022. The fact that she should “soon be able to conquer Berlin or even invade here in beautiful Bavaria, what kind of nonsense is that?” asks Wagenknecht. This fear of Russia apparently does not prevail in other European countries. They only give a fraction of the sums for Ukraine that Germany does. The federal government is “vicarious agent” of the USA. The arms deliveries are “pure madness”.
Aiwanger: Traffic lights make “terribly wrong politics”
1:12 p.m.: Free Voters leader Aiwanger is calling on the traffic light government to turn around, saying it is doing “terribly wrong politics”. Germany needs a strong center, but people are being driven to the left and right. “If people are fed with woke topics every day, you shouldn’t be surprised if they escalate at some point.”
Video | Aiwanger: “Terribly wrong politics”
Nouripour praises protests against right-wing extremism
12:59 p.m.: Green Party leader Omid Nouripour praised the mass rallies at the Green Party’s Ash Wednesday in Landshut, where hundreds of thousands have been taking to the streets against right-wing extremism for weeks. That is “incredibly strong”. “We must trust this democracy because it is big and strong and because it has the power to repel what the enemies of democracy want to do.”
Klingbeil: “There is no need for an alternative for Germany”
12:37 p.m.: Klingbeil sharply attacks the AfD. “Anyone who thinks they have to vote for the AfD to protest against the government is wrong. Voting for right-wing extremists is never a solution to a democratic problem,” he says. “Come to our events, complain to us, be frustrated, enter into dialogue with us – but don’t vote for Nazis.” There is no need for an alternative to the Basic Law, democracy and freedom. “There is no need for an alternative for Germany,” said Klingbeil.