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Armin Laschet during his address on WDR: "The reconstruction will take months, even years"
Photo: Mark Hermenau / dpa
North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Armin Laschet (CDU) wants to discuss financial aid with the municipalities affected by the storm this week.
He said that on Sunday evening in a television address on WDR.
Talks are also being held with the federal government.
"A catastrophe of national scope also needs a quick national response," said the Union's candidate for chancellor.
"I'm working hard on this with my colleagues in the state and federal government." He also wants to meet with local representatives "to discuss how we can structure the financial aid to quickly rebuild our homeland."
"We will feel the wounds of these days for a long time."
Armin Laschet
Laschet made it clear that removing the damage would be a feat.
"As a country, we are doing everything we can to get the direct effects of the disaster under control." The crisis teams met around the clock.
"We will still feel the wounds of these days for a long time," said the Christian Democrat.
"The reconstruction will take months, even years."
Laschet and climate protection - now more speed again
As a consequence of the flood disaster, he calls for more precautions against extreme weather.
"We have to build dams, retention basins, water reservoirs, renaturalize areas - protection not only on the Rhine, but also on the large and many small rivers all over the country," said Laschet.
"In short: protecting nature, the environment, life and limb - effectively strengthening the immune system of our home country so that we are better equipped against extreme weather."
The frequency and severity of such catastrophes are also a result of climate change, Laschet affirmed.
“We must fight it faster and more consistently here and around the world.
The climate grants no respite. "
On the issue of climate protection, Laschet had changed his mind several times in the past few days.
On Thursday, Laschet first said that the increasing extreme weather events were linked to climate change.
"That means that we need more speed with the measures to protect the climate." On the same evening, however, he announced on WDR: "Because this is such a day, you don't change politics."
Now Laschet is apparently again advocating stronger climate protection.
Chancellor Angela Merkel, SPD candidate Olaf Scholz and Laschet's CSU rival Markus Söder had already called for this on Sunday.
more on the subject
Crisis manager and candidate for chancellor in the flood disaster: Laschet's double U-turn by Sophie Garbe
Merkel and Dreyer in the crisis area: "Here in the Eifel you keep your word" By Matthias Bartsch and Jan Friedmann, Adenau and Schuld
"He is a hero"
In the televised address, the CDU candidate for chancellor also recalled the firefighter who was killed in Altena.
Laschet reported on the phone call with the 46-year-old's widow.
“She told me that her husband wanted to instill values in young people.
He wanted to be a role model.
He is even more.
He's a hero, ”said Laschet.
The firefighter is representative of the thousands who do their duty every day and risk life and limb.
The firefighter fell into the water and drowned in the dramatic flood on Wednesday afternoon in Altena - a town in the Märkisches Kreis - after rescuing a man.
His colleagues had only been able to rescue him dead.
After looting in Eschweiler near Aachen, which was hit by the storm, three suspects are in custody, as Laschet explained.
Eschweiler is particularly hard hit by the effects of the flood.
"It makes me angry when I hear that right now people are returning to their devastated houses and finding that looters have stolen what little they have left," said the Prime Minister.
Laschet was recently criticized when he laughed in the background during a speech by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier during a visit to Erftstadt.
The Prime Minister apologized for this on Twitter: He regretted "the impression that was created by a conversation."
"This was inappropriate and I'm sorry." Laschet did not address the situation in his TV address.
slü / dpa