Ricarda Lang attacks Friedrich Merz for "social tourism" allegations against Ukrainian refugees
Created: 09/27/2022, 13:43
By: Niklas Noack
Ricarda Lang was annoyed with CDU man Friedrich Merz.
© Photomontage BW24/Imago/Chris Emil Janßen/IMAGO/ Christian Spicker
Greens leader Ricarda Lang sharply criticizes the CDU federal chairman Friedrich Merz.
He apologized for his statement about Ukrainian refugees.
Donaueschingen/Berlin – Friedrich Merz overshot the mark.
On Monday (September 26), the federal chairman of the CDU made
disparaging remarks about Ukrainian refugees on
Bild-TV .
He accused many of "social tourism" and thus lumped all people fleeing Ukraine together.
In detail he said: "We are now experiencing social tourism from these refugees - to Germany, back to Ukraine, to Germany, back to Ukraine".
This also meant that all people fleeing the Russian war of aggression would obtain social benefits by fraud, as
BW24
reports.
Greens leader Ricarda Lang is annoyed by the statement by CDU man Friedrich Merz about Ukrainian refugees
Green leader Ricarda Lang, who recently made headlines with a picture of the Oktoberfest herself, was annoyed by Merz's empathetic statements.
On Twitter, she wrote: "How does it actually fit with the much-vaunted solidarity of the Union with Ukraine that Friedrich Merz speaks of 'social tourism' in the context of people fleeing this terrible war of aggression?"
Lang was far from alone in this criticism.
In a text ,
Bild
Vice and Ukraine expert Paul Ronzheimer asked the question: "How can he?".
And commented: “Russia is escalating in the war against Ukraine, Putin is ordering partial mobilization, wants to illegally annex areas, threatens to use nuclear weapons.
And what is opposition leader Friedrich Merz doing, who wants to become chancellor?
Merz talks about 'social tourism' among Ukrainian refugees who commuted between Germany and Ukraine to collect Hartz IV.”
Friedrich Merz apologizes for "social tourism" accusation
Clear words that have now also found favor with the conservative CDU chairman.
Merz apologized via Twitter for the "social tourism" accusation: "There is a lot of criticism of my statements from yesterday about the refugees from Ukraine.
I regret the use of the word 'social tourism'.
That was an inaccurate description of an isolated problem.”
His "note was only for the lack of registration of the refugees," wrote Merz and finally made it clear: "It was and is far from me to criticize the refugees from Ukraine, who are confronted with a hard fate."
