In a demonstrative solidarity, the large union-governed states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria are increasing the pressure on the federal government, especially in refugee policy. After a joint cabinet meeting in Munich, both North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) and Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) accused Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s (SPD) traffic light government of ducking the issue.
In view of the high number of refugees, more help and support from the federal government is urgently needed for the overburdened municipalities. “The topic must finally become a top priority,” demanded Wüst. Söder criticized: “The Chancellor is persistently silent.” The federal government still leaves the municipalities and many volunteers completely alone.
“That can not go on like this”
At the federal level, too, the Union is pushing for stronger countermeasures due to the high number of refugees. “We are currently seeing an average of 30,000 additional asylum seekers per month. It can’t go on like this,” said parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz (CDU) in Berlin. “That has to be stopped, it has to be clearly limited.” The municipalities are now at the limit of their capacity. The opposition Union also wants to submit an application that the Bundestag will deal with this Friday.
Wüst emphasized: “Germany can do better, above all, if there was better cooperation between the federal and state governments.” A significantly greater commitment from the federal government and a permanent “fair burden sharing” of 50 to 50 are needed, because many refugees remain in Germany permanently – and this permanent task does not fit that you get together every few months. “Permanent tasks need reliable, reputable financing so that we can do justice to the people,” said Wüst.
Federal and state refugee summit on May 10th
“The municipalities are on the attack,” warned Söder and demanded: “We need a sensible migration policy with a clear yes to help and labor immigration, but an equally clear no to excessive demands and illegal migration.” Now the federal government is required.
A conference of all prime ministers with Scholz is planned for May 10, at which the topic of refugees and migration will be the focus. According to Wüst, there should be a meeting of the federal states with the municipal associations two days beforehand. Because the federal states wanted to be “mouthpieces” for the municipalities, he announced.
Bavaria and NRW want to work more closely together
Both Wüst and Söder repeatedly emphasized the importance of their two countries. “This is where the big ones come together, the big countries in terms of population, area and economic power,” said Wüst. Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia wanted to move forward together in many areas. For example, the two countries want to work more closely together in the field of artificial intelligence and other future fields. However, the two cabinets also made many demands on Berlin, for example to enable sufficient immigration of skilled workers or to set up a hydrogen network and a hydrogen economy.
In addition, Söder and Wüst repeatedly emphasized their good personal relationship. Wüst even reacted calmly to Söder’s attempt to poach teachers from other countries. In North Rhine-Westphalia, teachers would be civil servants, so they would have to be “released,” he said. It stays the same: “We give civil servants and hug them lovingly, all teachers, so that they stay with us.”
