CDU leader Merz lures Chancellor Scholz - and threatens him

WELT CDU leader Merz lures Chancellor Scholz - and threatens him Nikolaus Doll • 2 hours • 5 minutes reading time During the election campaign in Dresden, Friedrich Merz offers the Chancellor "the 196 votes of the Union MPs" for "sensible laws" to limit migration. Tightening gun laws is "nonsense". If Scholz refuses, Merz wants to increase the pressure with unusual methods. They stand so harmoniously next to each other, Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer, his Bavarian counterpart and CSU leader Markus Söder and the third in the group, CDU leader Friedrich Merz, that it seems unthinkable that a tough fight could break out between the two Union party leaders next month over the candidacy for chancellor, over the K question of the sister parties for the federal election. The newly bearded Söder and the Tyrolean nut oil-tanned Merz pass the ball to each other on the campaign stage in the beautiful Dresden district of Weißer Hirsch on this Monday evening, gallantly and in good spirits, both praising and celebrating Kretschmer. And at some point Markus Söder says: "The K question has been decided for us: 'We are for Kretschmer as the new Prime Minister of Saxony.'" Laughter among the numerous visitors. "And then the Chancellor will be..." Söder is silent for a few seconds for effect. "... one of us two," and points to himself and Merz. Even more laughter. There is a clear division of labor between the three Union grandees this evening, six days before the state election in Saxony. It is like the three musketeers, each represents a different character. Kretschmer plays the serious, committed, driving local hero and patron saint of the Saxons. Söder is responsible for anecdotes, good mood and the conservative background noise. He is – once again – the best speaker of the evening. Merz has the most difficult part. He is the last to speak, he has to cover all the difficult topics that are currently stirring up Germany. All three are in control of their parts and that is not easy on an evening like this. So soon after the terrible knife attack in Solingen that left three people dead. And after the latest polls, which for the first time again place the AfD ahead of the CDU in the Free State. This would give the party, which is classified as right-wing extremist in Saxony, the task of forming a government after the state election. Michael Kretschmer speaks of a “fateful election”. All three said that it cannot be allowed to “leave this federal state to people who reject our basic order, our society, and indeed democracy”. But how do you do that? Because you can feel that with every new attack, every further knife attack, the nervousness in the country is increasing. And that, in view of a suspected perpetrator from Syria in the bloodbath in Solingen, this is closely linked to the question of how much immigration Germany can handle, how much integration is feasible and how to get those who are trying to thwart this out of the country. It would be easy to spread simple slogans along the lines of: the boat is full, the borders are closed. But that would easily put you in the wake of right-wing extremists. And it seems just as easy to make fun of the statement by SPD co-leader Saskia Esken, who seriously said that "we cannot learn too much from the attack in Solingen". But doesn't mocking this put immigrants under general suspicion? Kretschmer, Söder and Merz are walking a fine line this evening. But they manage it. Merz had already offered Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) on Sunday to work together on a fundamental change of course in migration policy and presented a five-point plan for a significant limitation of immigration, more protection of the borders and faster deportations. On Tuesday, Merz wants to talk to Scholz about it in a confidential one-on-one meeting. On Monday evening, he went one step further. "I am offering the Chancellor the 196 votes of the Union faction in the Bundestag if he is prepared to pass sensible laws." In the event that the Chancellor cannot find a majority in his own coalition for limiting immigration. The Greens in particular are having a hard time with this. He called on the Chancellor to allow votes on migration issues. Merz also said, however, that he would ensure that the Union faction does not get caught up in the "downward spiral" of the traffic light coalition, and that without cooperation there would be a clear break. "If the traffic light coalition refuses to cooperate on the laws that we believe are necessary, the Union faction will in future submit proposals for laws on the issue of migration every week and request roll-call votes," Merz threatened. The Chancellor can only see the offer of cooperation as poisoned, because if he were to accept it, it would probably be the end of the traffic light coalition. Olaf Scholz cannot do it, but he also cannot move on to business as usual after the attack in Solingen.