Chancellor Friedrich Merz wants to counter the increasing extremism in Germany with good government action. The justice gap will continue to grow “if we don’t act,” said Merz in his government statement in the Bundestag.
Where extremism has "its roots in justified dissatisfaction" and in "justified feelings of injustice," Merz said, the only answer is to transform "this destructive power into something good": the country now needs a "creative effort."
"We have to raise it and we will raise it - especially against the extremism (...) that is currently penetrating this parliament again, the state parliaments and the everyday world of our country," emphasized the Chancellor. Germany is under pressure “as perhaps never before since its founding”.
Merz was alluding to the AfD's successes in the state elections in September, in which the AfD made significant gains and may come to government in Saxony-Anhalt. In his speech, he addressed the AfD MPs directly and criticized their "scornful laughter with the joy of decomposition and destruction."
They attacked Merz sharply. AfD leader Tino Chrupalla accused the Chancellor of “political failure.” Nothing has happened, he said, with regard to areas such as pensions, care or health. "Mr. Chancellor, hand on heart, it won't work anymore," said Chrupalla. His co-boss Alice Weidel said: "It's over, Mr. Merz." She once again called for oil and natural gas to be purchased from Russia.
Chrupalla called on Merz to end the "now endless financial and military support" to Ukraine. Taxpayers could no longer afford this.
Merz countered such demands: "Not a single euro that flows into Ukraine is missing from social spending and education spending in our country." He says this clearly to all those who “want to construct a justice problem” out of this.
The Chancellor emphasized that the goal of a peaceful, free and secure Europe requires investments in Ukraine's defense capabilities and defense against Russian attacks. This is the only way to create the conditions for freedom that the rule of law, the economy and the community need so that justice can develop.
Merz warned that all of this was in very real danger and pointed to Russia's increasing willingness to escalate. "And against this background, I say it very openly, it is incomprehensible to me how you from the far left and the far right are still playing the game of trivialization to this day."
The main topic of Merz's government statement was the EU summit, to which he is traveling to Brussels in the evening. This includes, among other things, the EU budget and new protective mechanisms for the European economy. “We will no longer stand idly by while other countries harm our economy through high subsidies, artificially devalued currencies, overcapacity and aggressive pricing,” said Merz.
The statement probably refers primarily to China. China is accused of distorting the market through state subsidies, creating excess capacity and thus enabling dumping prices that European companies cannot compete with.
Merz continued: "Anyone who looks for the trade conflict with us will find out that we are now defending ourselves and with appropriate reactions."
