As of: February 26, 2024, 5:13 a.m
By: Christian Deutschländer
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Michael Kretschmer (CDU), Prime Minister of Saxony, speaks at an appointment.
© Robert Michael/dpa
Sachsen's Prime Minister Kretschmer speaks in the Merkur interview about the AfD, the traffic light coalition, Navalny's death and Kremlin boss Putin.
Munich – A magazine recently wrote about Michael Kretschmer that he is a “dead man walking”, i.e. politically a living dead man.
Yes, hardly anyone in Germany has to lead such a difficult election campaign as the CDU Prime Minister from Saxony.
Before the election (September 1st), the AfD is ahead in several surveys, it's everything for the CDU.
Is it even possible to form a government without the extreme right or left?
The 48-year-old, who is also the party's federal vice-president, currently has to lead a coalition with the SPD and the Greens in Saxony that is also not uncomplicated.
We met him in Munich for an interview.
The AfD poll numbers are collapsing. The trend reversal thanks to the large demonstrations against right-wing extremists? Or are we dreamy?
What we are seeing at the demos is a great commitment from the middle.
This is very good for all of us, including me.
I was there myself in Görlitz, my hometown.
But the cause of the AfD's rise has not been eliminated.
A large proportion of people are still disappointed and doubt the federal government's ability to find solutions.
I fear that this number will even increase given the federal government's policies.
The AfD is also being nibbled on from the left by the new Wagenknecht party. Does this fragmentation of the party system concern you? Or will it save your job?
We have to accept things as they are.
But I find the parallels to the time 100 years ago frightening: the fragmentation, the division of society, the inability of politics to compromise.
Actually, the strength of the Federal Republic used to be not to push conflicts to extremes, but rather to reach agreement.
We have to find that again.
In your opinion, who is more dangerous and worse – the AfD or the Wagenknecht Left?
In the AfD, right-wing extremists are increasingly taking responsibility; they make up the majority.
This radicalization – and not the voters – is the big problem.
With the Wagenknecht party we first have to see whether it even gets into parliament.
They demand compromises. Does it help if the Union takes a tough stance against all traffic light plans in the Federal Council?
I advise my friends in the Union: We have to be willing to compromise.
But we also expect the same from the traffic lights.
And that's where it's missing.
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Bavaria wants to force the cannabis law into the Federal Council's mediation committee. Are you going along with that? They govern with the SPD and the Greens...
This cannabis legalization must be prevented at all costs.
The law is wrong and bad, the health consequences are dramatic.
I have a green, very liberal justice minister in Saxony.
She says exactly that publicly with the utmost clarity.
The second biggest point of contention in the Federal Council is the Growth Opportunities Act. Is it wrong to link this to agricultural diesel in an irrelevant way, as the Union is doing?
The law will not solve the big problems; they are much more enormous.
And homemade.
We will only create additional growth with more freedom - so it's better to have fewer laws and get rid of nonsense like the supply chain law, the strict working time law or the false incentives of citizens' money.
We need dynamism.
We negotiated for hours with the federal government about the Growth Opportunities Act and repeatedly offered compromises in the interests of the farmers.
In the end, deep in the night, the federal government got up and left.
It is precisely this style of politics that leads to incomprehension and standstill, which is exactly why this traffic light is so criticized.
Will the coalition break up before autumn 2025?
This federal government has already been voted out of office, but will probably remain in office until the end of next year.
Would the Union be prepared to take over government? With who?
Yes.
Today you know where you stand with the Union.
For example, no one has to ask anymore what our course is in asylum policy.
That is the achievement of Friedrich Merz.
Your candidate for chancellor?
Nobody will doubt that he has done a very good job as opposition leader over the years.
He has first access.
In the end, Friedrich Merz and Markus Söder will decide together, and I would think that Merz will come out of it.
You always advocated dialogue with Russia. Has the Navalny case – assassination, death – changed your position on Russia?
Except for a very few people in the AfD or the Wagenknecht party, everyone says: Russia is the aggressor, it is a threat to Ukraine and to us in Europe.
The Navalny case proves: This regime in Russia is brutal, ruthless - attacking a country, killing people, kidnapping children.
But I don't make it as easy for myself as this Federal Foreign Minister who declares that Russia doesn't want to negotiate, so we won't negotiate.
That's wrong.
We will not bring Russia to its knees militarily.
So we have to stop this war by other means.
For this we need China, the Brics states and discussions.
We must become “war-ready,” says the Defense Minister. Is he right?
I was very alarmed at the wording.
Germany should wage war?
That can't possibly be what is meant!
I say: we must be ready for defense and strong!
To do this, we must invest in our security.
This requires a consensus in society and in order to achieve this, an appropriate choice of words and clever arguments are important.
The central prerequisite is our economic strength.
That's why it's so dangerous that this federal government is weakening Germany economically.
Two letters from you to Putin from 2019 and 2021 are currently making headlines. Was your tone too submissive?
No.
The letters were the response after two meetings I had with Putin before the war.
At that time, few people were allowed to see him.
Anyone who wants to know can read: In these conversations I clearly addressed all the critical points, including the supply of Navalny.
(
Interview: Christian Deutschländer, Marcus Mäckler)