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CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt and Prime Minister Markus Söder in Seeon
Photo: Sven Hoppe / dpa
CSU boss Markus Söder has been sure of that for a long time.
What is new is that he is linking the topic to possible financial sanctions against other federal states in which the Christian Socialists believe things are going worse than in the Free State.
Specifically, the CSU is demanding financial consequences for the state government there because of the riots on New Year's Eve in Berlin.
“We are definitely suing the state financial equalization because it got completely out of hand,” said Söder at the winter retreat of the CSU state group in Seeon Monastery in Upper Bavaria – repeating an earlier announcement.
There are umpteen examples "where the state of Berlin does not work".
This cannot remain the case in the future.
It is not the first time that Söder has criticized the situation in Berlin and presented Bavaria as a positive counterexample.
In this case, the fact that a state election is due in Bavaria in autumn should also play a role.
Then Söder has to deliver a good result, there is talk of at least 40 percent within the party.
The electorate in Bavaria likes criticism of Berlin and the financial equalization of the federal states.
Alexander Dobrindt, head of the CSU in the Bundestag, made a similar statement to Söder.
If the state of Berlin is still politically unwilling and unwilling to enforce the law in the capital, then there must be financial sanctions.
The financial equalization of the federal states would be the possible lever for this.
"Berlin must be able to implement the law on its streets," said Dobrindt.
On New Year's Eve, police officers and firefighters were attacked in several German cities, including with firecrackers and rockets.
The attacks in Berlin were particularly violent.
Söder criticized that in Berlin "chaotic" would be encouraged if the state and police withdrew or had to withdraw.
The police in the capital lack political backing from the Senate, pay and equipment.
Criticism of the traffic light
"The Senate in Berlin doesn't even manage to organize elections: How should it then seriously organize security for the citizens?" asked Söder.
On February 12, the election for the House of Representatives will be repeated in Berlin after the state constitutional court declared the 2021 election invalid due to many glitches and “serious systemic deficiencies”.
Unsurprisingly, Söder also had criticism for the traffic light coalition.
He reiterated his demand that Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) have to dismiss Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht and accused the traffic light of a lack of team spirit.
The Greens described Söder as "the number one blackout risk in Germany".
And also the FDP
so called/dpa
