Prime Minister Markus Söder talks about crises and acts of strength

Created: 2022-08-13Updated: 2022-08-13, 3:45 p.m

By: Martina Ahr

Prime Minister Markus Söder during his speech.

© Karl Jena

Kempten – Prime Minister Markus Söder believes that the festival week is a performance show and a declaration of love for the Allgäu. 

A few superlatives followed in his speech: He describes the Allgäu as one of the most beautiful and strongest regions in Bavaria - "and thus in Germany and actually in Europe".

In addition, the "beautiful summer with outstanding figures from the economy".

With all these positive points, one cannot “imagine that a difficult autumn will come”.

Precisely because of the past and still pending crises, it is therefore "an important and correct signal" to let the festival week take place again, because "to be able to help, you need strength" and that's what the festival week offers people.

"Corona was a crisis like we've never had before," he says.

Every morning he saw an increase in the number of deaths.

It was difficult to make decisions in these times.

"But the bottom line is that we did a good job" and it was possible to save thousands of lives.

And in autumn?

Söder addresses Health Minister Klaus Holetschek, who will take care of it.

For Söder it is clear: "Protect yes, shut off no."

But it is not just the possible flare-up of the pandemic that Söder is currently concerned with.

"We have to see how we can get through the winter," he says, referring to the upcoming energy bottlenecks.

It is still uncertain what will happen in the coming months as a result of the Ukraine war.

Everything gets more expensive.

That is clear and requires support, especially for companies.

Söder can imagine an aid program comparable to the Corona aid.

In addition, there is a need for a reduction in taxes "on everything to do with energy and petrol" and an expansion of the commuter allowance.

Cycle paths must also be expanded, but he sees cycling in the Allgäu less as a means of transport and more as "a challenge".

Despite all the inflation, Söder does not expect uprisings among the population;

Söder corrects himself here immediately, because he was sometimes surprised at how some people reacted to the pandemic and what allegations emerged during various protests about vaccinations and regulations.

For a long time it was thought that the decision to withdraw from Russian energy would be made by the German side.

But now things had turned out differently.

He thinks saving energy is a good way to counteract the energy crisis.

"But that won't work if you only save money or take cold showers." A replacement for gas is still necessary.

Since things are constantly changing, recently “dramatically fast”, one has to do without templates and think in different directions.

That's why he advocates allowing nuclear power plants to continue to run to a limited extent, but also for expanding renewable energies.

But when he "hugged a tree," he was criticized for it, he says with a grin.

As far as wind energy "on the doorstep" is concerned, one must "strengthen the inner euphoria of many".

Despite his efforts in climate protection issues, Söder wants to relax regulations in agriculture.

Farmers would be controlled more than a nuclear power plant.

In his opinion, animal protection is also too heavily regulated.

He sees himself as an animal lover, but "the wolf just doesn't belong in Bavaria" and must be allowed to be removed without the effort that has been necessary up to now.

Questions of husbandry should also be subject to fewer rules: "If I were a cow, or rather a bull, I would rather be in the combination husbandry on the alpine pasture than in a free stall all my life."

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Despite all the problems, there is no reason to despair.

"People have an infinite amount of food to eat when they go to the shops." Are the population aware of this and do they appreciate this fact?

Söder calls for more gratitude and more pride to be shown.

Because for him it is clear: "We will get through the winter well, even if there will always be moments of shock."

He will now spend a few days of vacation in Oberstaufen.