Latest news with #KatrinGöring-Eckardt
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Germany is still in denial about its terror nightmare
An empty pram lies forlorn, on a street covered in debris and police tape. In Munich, a failed Afghan asylum seeker has driven his car into a crowd. Among the injured are a mother and her small child, who are still struggling for their lives. Like many German mothers, I find myself wondering how safe it is to push my 14 month old daughter through the town where we live. Farhad Noori, the alleged attacker named by German media, injured 39 people. Born in Kabul in 2001, he came to Germany as an asylum seeker in 2016. His asylum application was subsequently rejected but he appealed. His case dragged on for three years and, even though it ended with a decision that he could be deported, he was given a temporary residence permit instead. He became a bodybuilder and a security guard, gaining 68,000 followers on Instagram for pictures of him posing at bodybuilding competitions. That left him free to allegedly attack the crowd in a white Mini Cooper near a demonstration organised by the trade union Verdi, who a few weeks ago criticised the German right for wanting to reform the country's absurdly lax asylum policies. For Germans, this sort of attack is becoming normalised. Only a fortnight ago, another Afghan asylum seeker, armed with a knife, attacked a kindergarten outing in a park. He murdered a two-year old Moroccan child and the 41-year old man who intervened to protect the children. Yet, the German political class seems largely indifferent. When the Vice President of the Bundestag Katrin Göring-Eckardt was recently asked on a talk show about trying to get rid of dual national criminals, she responded, 'I think that has damned little to do with people's everyday lives'. This sentiment echoes the now infamous (and hubristic) declaration by Angela Merkel during the 2015 Syrian refugee crisis: 'Wir schaffen das', 'we can handle this'. Ordinary Germans clearly disagree, which is why the two leading parties in this month's election are both on the right: the CDU and AfD. Whether that will change things remains to be seen. The 'Brandmauer' or 'firewall' means that the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is shamed into not cooperating with the more hardcore Alternative for Germany (AfD), which leaves the right divided. When the CDU dared to accept AfD votes on a non-binding motion to tackle migration issues, it led to staffers in their Berlin HQ having to be evacuated to escape left-wing protestors. Rolf Mützenich from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) accused the CDU of having opened 'the gates of hell', and party leader Merz even faced internal opposition. If the firewall still stands after this month's election, then the chance of reform on immigration is low, because the left-wing parties will be able to block it. That will mean more nightmarish stories like that of Christoph R, a young CDU member who had his throat cut in his own apartment by a Guinean asylum seeker, who went on to attack a Ukrainian woman. Once again, his asylum case had been rejected but, nonetheless, he was given temporary residence because he could speak German. Over and over again the same story plays out. Asylum seekers, often known to the authorities, and with no right to be in the country, go on to commit horrific crimes against innocent people. There are around a quarter of a million foreigners who have been told to leave but haven't. Almost none will do so, and they are rarely forced to go by the authorities. Mainstream German politicians face a simple choice. Either they accept that the asylum crisis needs to be tackled, or the firewall has to fall so that a united right can put an end to it. The only question is how many innocent Germans they will allow to suffer before this happens. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
15-02-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Germany is still in denial about its terror nightmare
An empty pram lies forlorn, on a street covered in debris and police tape. In Munich, a failed Afghan asylum seeker has driven his car into a crowd. Among the injured are a mother and her small child, who are still struggling for their lives. Like many German mothers, I find myself wondering how safe it is to push my 14 month old daughter through the town where we live. Farhad Noori, the alleged attacker named by German media, injured 39 people. Born in Kabul in 2001, he came to Germany as an asylum seeker in 2016. His asylum application was subsequently rejected but he appealed. His case dragged on for three years and, even though it ended with a decision that he could be deported, he was given a temporary residence permit instead. He became a bodybuilder and a security guard, gaining 68,000 followers on Instagram for pictures of him posing at bodybuilding competitions. That left him free to allegedly attack the crowd in a white Mini Cooper near a demonstration organised by the trade union Verdi, who a few weeks ago criticised the German right for wanting to reform the country's absurdly lax asylum policies. For Germans, this sort of attack is becoming normalised. Only a fortnight ago, another Afghan asylum seeker, armed with a knife, attacked a kindergarten outing in a park. He murdered a two-year old Moroccan child and the 41-year old man who intervened to protect the children. Yet, the German political class seems largely indifferent. When the Vice President of the Bundestag Katrin Göring-Eckardt was recently asked on a talk show about trying to get rid of dual national criminals, she responded, 'I think that has damned little to do with people's everyday lives'. This sentiment echoes the now infamous (and hubristic) declaration by Angela Merkel during the 2015 Syrian refugee crisis: 'Wir schaffen das', 'we can handle this'. Ordinary Germans clearly disagree, which is why the two leading parties in this month's election are both on the right: the CDU and AfD. Whether that will change things remains to be seen. The 'Brandmauer' or 'firewall' means that the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is shamed into not cooperating with the more hardcore Alternative for Germany (AfD), which leaves the right divided. When the CDU dared to accept AfD votes on a non-binding motion to tackle migration issues, it led to staffers in their Berlin HQ having to be evacuated to escape left-wing protestors. Rolf Mützenich from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) accused the CDU of having opened 'the gates of hell', and party leader Merz even faced internal opposition. If the firewall still stands after this month's election, then the chance of reform on immigration is low, because the left-wing parties will be able to block it. That will mean more nightmarish stories like that of Christoph R, a young CDU member who had his throat cut in his own apartment by a Guinean asylum seeker, who went on to attack a Ukrainian woman. Once again, his asylum case had been rejected but, nonetheless, he was given temporary residence because he could speak German. Over and over again the same story plays out. Asylum seekers, often known to the authorities, and with no right to be in the country, go on to commit horrific crimes against innocent people. There are around a quarter of a million foreigners who have been told to leave but haven't. Almost none will do so, and they are rarely forced to go by the authorities. Mainstream German politicians face a simple choice. Either they accept that the asylum crisis needs to be tackled, or the firewall has to fall so that a united right can put an end to it. The only question is how many innocent Germans they will allow to suffer before this happens.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bundestag meeting to approve €3 billion for Ukraine closed early
Additional support for Ukraine was to be discussed in the German Bundestag, but the plenary session ended early due to inter-party disputes. Source: Die Welt, as reported by European Pravda Details: A party dispute over additional financial assistance to Ukraine led to the early closure of the Bundestag session last night. The vote on the proposal of the Free Democratic Party, in which the Free Democrats called for unplanned spending of up to €3 billion, led to the parliament's failure to make a decision after midnight. The Alternative for Germany party, which opposes military support for Ukraine, questioned the Bundestag's quorum. This requires more than half of the 733 members of parliament to be present, which is never the case at night. For example, only 320 MPs voted on the FDP's proposal on Ukraine, less than the required 50%. Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt then adjourned the plenary session, although the debate on the price of CO₂ emission allowances was still on the agenda. The dispute over aid for Ukraine revolves around the manner in which the additional €3 billion will be funded. Chancellor Olaf Scholz intends to suspend the debt break for this purpose. The opposition CDU, FDP, and Greens, his remaining coalition allies, prefer to fund the weapons deliveries through unplanned budgetary expenditures. A few hours before the plenary debate, the Bundestag Budget Committee had already agreed on a similar proposal. According to the CDU/CSU and FDP, their united plan was approved, while the SPD and Greens abstained. Background: Earlier, Spiegel reported that a dispute had supposedly arisen within the German government over an additional package of weapons for Ukraine worth about €3 billion. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius denied reports that Chancellor Olaf Scholz was allegedly blocking an additional package for Ukraine. However, Scholz himself said that he opposes increasing the planned military aid to Ukraine if it requires cuts in other budget items. Support UP or become our patron!
