Ricarda Lang at Anne Will about Friedrich Merz: "Populism has a method"
Created: 2022-10-15 04:58
By: Sina Alonso Garcia
Does not believe in a mistake, but in a well-calculated approach by CDU leader Friedrich Merz: Green politician Ricarda Lang with Anne Will.
© NDR/Wolfgang Borrs
CDU leader Friedrich Merz recently caused outrage with the accusation of "social tourism among Ukraine refugees".
Green politician Ricarda Lang considers his actions to be calculated.
Berlin – An outcry went through the country when CDU leader Friedrich Merz spoke of “social tourism” among Ukraine refugees two weeks before the state elections in Lower Saxony.
In the meantime, the CDU politician backtracked and apologized, but a short time later he added content - and explained that Germany was setting the wrong incentives for immigration.
He explained to
t-online
: "With the future social benefit, which will be called citizen money, it is often no longer worthwhile for immigrants to take up a simple job.
And that is exactly what really attracts people from many countries, it creates a so-called pull factor.” The German infrastructure is not geared towards the 84 million people who now live here.
Merz's statements were also discussed on the talk show "Anne Will" (
ARD, October 9, 2022
).
Among the guests were the Greens politician Ricarda Lang and the CDU politician and former Health Minister Jens Spahn.
The hanger of the program was the state election in Lower Saxony, in which the CDU recently recorded heavy losses.
"Almost -6 percentage points in Lower Saxony - doesn't hardcore populism, as Ricarda Lang calls it, help you?" Moderator Anne Will addressed Jens Spahn.
He defends his party colleague - and emphasizes that Merz has already apologized for the word "social tourism", as reported
by BW24
.
Jens Spahn defends Friedrich Merz - and encounters resistance from Ricarda Lang
"Do you know what drives me - and that makes others strong again - for weeks we've only been talking about one word," said Spahn.
"Although - if you look at the other quotes you just mentioned, objectively there is a problem." It has been the Union's position for many years that immigration must be managed.
“We want immigration into the labor market.
We don't want immigration into the social security systems.” After the USA, Germany has been the country with - in absolute figures - the highest level of immigration for years.
"Anyone who enters this country is entitled to certain benefits after day one." You have to talk about how to get control of the situation.
"Of course, every increase in social benefits that I receive without further consideration is also an incentive to
Green politician Ricarda Lang sees Spahn's remarks as proof "that Merz's apologies were worthless".
“First he precedes, he uses that word social tourism in relation to Ukrainian refugees - people fleeing this terrible war.
Then he apologizes - and then he repeats the content of exactly these statements, which have now been refuted.
We see that there are no figures showing that there is any large-scale social fraud by Ukrainian refugees.
There is a method to this populism.
Go ahead, apologize, row back, then go out again and set these narratives again and again.” The AfD’s good election result is also strengthened by using right-wing narratives and spreading Russian propaganda.
Debate at Anne Will: Journalist Robin Alexander also considers the term "social tourism" to be "foolish"
Shortly after Merz made his "social tourism" accusation about two weeks ago, Ricarda Lang sharply criticized his statements.
In the Anne Will program, the topic seems to have boiled up emotionally again for her.
Among others, she received encouragement from Welt co-editor-in-chief Robin Alexander, who considers the term “social tourism” to be “foolish”.
There is no proof that Ukrainian refugees only come to us, collect money and do not stay.
"However, the pull factor is different," he concedes.
Countries with attractive social benefits would certainly have such a factor.
While there is a split opinion about the Merz quote on the Anne Will program, politicians from Merz's own ranks also agree with Lang's accusation.
The CDU social wing called the procedure a "usual method of right-wing populists".
The FDP politician Agnes Strack-Zimmermann also described Merz' choice of words as "the very last".
