Söder answers a private question about Merz and then attacks Lanz: "Sometimes very strange guests"

Created: 2022-12-17 06:01

Union leaders on ZDF: Markus Söder (CSU) and Friedrich Merz (CDU) on “Markus Lanz”.

© Screenshot ZDF

do they like each other

Markus Söder and Friedrich Merz were seen together on ZDF on Thursday.

Moderator Markus Lanz also asked a private question.

Munich – The CDU and CSU are gradually recovering from the horror year 2021. In some polls, the Union is clearly ahead of the SPD and the Greens, and the leaders of the two sister parties appear more united than before the federal elections.

Friedrich Merz has been CDU leader since February, Markus Söder is his CSU counterpart in the south.

Now both were guests on the ZDF program “Markus Lanz – The Year 2022”.

Are they friends?

Merz a real friend?

Söder pulls out glasses

Merz and Söder emphasized the cooperation on ZDF.

"We are two party leaders who get along extremely well," said Merz.

When asked whether the two were friends, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag replied: "Neither of us belong to our closest circle of friends.

But I would say, Markus, yes: we are friends in the cooperation in the CDU and the CSU.

Söder pointed out that Merz was already the third CDU chairman since he was at the head of the CSU.

"But I have to say: What neither of us would have believed, to be honest, we work great together.

I didn't think it would be so good, so smooth.” Friendship is such a thing in politics.

“I believe we are communities that want to make a difference.

But out of sympathy, we now have almost the same glasses," joked Söder.

He also showed reading glasses with a black rim, which are similar to the Merz model.

When asked "which glasses" the Union's candidate for chancellor would have, Merz said: "If the glasses are so similar, the answer won't be that difficult: we'll decide it together."

Sweet unity: CSU boss Markus Söder (left) and CDU leader Friedrich Merz at Kirchsee south of Munich.

© Peter Kneffel/dpa

Zoff about citizenship for immigrants – Söder announces going it alone in Bavaria

Of course, the talk also got political.

When it comes to the lack of skilled workers, Söder does not know whether Germany has the right concepts.

"The answer of the federal government is to grant citizenship after a very short time - in the hope of facilitating immigration for labor migration," said Söder with regard to the planned citizenship law of the traffic light.

"I don't think there is any country in the world that solves it that way." Bavaria is therefore working on a counter-proposal.

Söder wants to open “contact offices” in the Western Balkans.

As a result, skilled workers should come to Germany in a more targeted manner.

"We feel that in the German Foreign Ministry, which is responsible for the embassies, there is a lot of talk about feminist foreign policy," said Söder about Annalena Baerbock's (Greens) ministry.

"But in the German embassies, for example in the Western Balkans, there is no staff who can fill out visa applications.

That takes umpteen months.” That is why “we in Bavaria” will increase the number of embassies.

When it comes to easier citizenship, however, Söder remains “a bit cautious”.

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Fancy a voyage of discovery?

My space

Perfect repository site in Bavaria?

Lanz adds to Söder, who shoots at his guests

The Bavarian Prime Minister became more offensive when it came to Bavarian interests.

First he called for a "repository for ideologies" because: "Everything we do is too ideological." Moderator Lanz picked up the ball and wanted to know whether Söder would then be willing to "throw ideology overboard" on the subject Nuclear Waste Repository.

A geologist had told him that the Free State would be ideally suited for this.

Söder then attacked Lanz's guests.

"I don't know who you always meet, who you always talk to so strangely." Lanz "sometimes has very strange guests," said the CSU boss.

After all, the repository would be better off somewhere else.

Lanz also spoke to Söder about the protests of the "last generation".

The prime minister reacted mockingly.