Latest news with #MarkusSoder
Russia Today
3 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Germany should deny Ukrainians increased benefits
Germany should bar all Ukrainian refugees from getting increased social benefits normally only reserved for its own citizens, the head of the state of Bavaria, Markus Soder, has said. Ukrainians were granted the privilege under a special law passed in May 2022, allowing them larger benefits than what other asylum seekers receive. The German authorities spent a total of €6.3 billion ($7.3 billion) or just under 30% of all the budget allocated for so-called 'citizen's' benefits in 2024, on Ukrainian refugees, according to government data cited by several news media outlets, including Bild and ARD. It must be ensured that 'there are no longer any citizen's benefits for all those who have come from Ukraine,' said Soder, who also heads the Christian Social Union (CSU) – a Bavarian party that is a part of the federal government coalition. The new rule must apply to 'everyone' and not only those Ukrainians who would come to Germany in the future, he told ZDF's 'Summer Interview'. According to the politician, 'no country in the world' treats Ukrainians the same way Germany does. He also called generous support from the state one of the reasons why 'so few people from Ukraine are employed' in the country. The newcomers should get smaller regular payments, on par with all other refugees, he argued. Only around 30% of Ukrainian refugees in Germany were employed as of June 2024, according to a November report by Stern. The country has been one of the primary destinations for those fleeing the conflict between Kiev and Moscow. According to various estimates, more than a million Ukrainians were residing in Germany as of December 2024. Last October, Stern estimated that 720,000 of them were receiving citizen's benefits. The government coalition reportedly agreed to slash the payments for Ukrainians arriving in Germany after April 1 and provide them with regular refugee benefits instead. However, with the new regulations still pending, new arrivals from Ukraine continue to get 'citizen's benefits,' according to Bild.
Russia Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Germany should strip Ukrainians of increased benefits
Berlin should bar all Ukrainian refugees from getting increased social benefits normally only reserved for German nationals, the head of the German state of Bavaria, Markus Soder, has said. Ukrainians were granted the privilege under a special law passed in May 2022, giving them larger benefits than what other asylum seekers receive. The German authorities spent a total of €6.3 billion ($7.3 billion) or just under 30% of all the budget allocated for the so-called 'citizen's benefits in 2024 on Ukrainian refugees, according to the government data cited by several news media outlets, including Bild and ARD. It must be ensured that 'there are no longer any citizen's benefits for all those who have come from Ukraine,' said Soder, who also heads the Christian Social Union (CSU) – a Bavarian party that is a part of the federal government coalition. The new rule must apply to 'everyone' and not only those Ukrainians who would come to Germany in the future, he told ZDF's 'Summer Interview'. According to the politician, 'no country in the world' treats Ukrainians the same way Germany does. He also called generous support from the state one of the reasons why 'so few people from Ukraine are employed' in Germany. Ukrainians should get smaller regular payments on par with all other refugees, he argued. Only around 30% of Ukrainian refugees in Germany were employed as of June 2024, according to a November report by Stern. Germany has been one of the primary destinations for Ukrainians fleeing the conflict between Kiev and Moscow. According to various estimates, more than a million Ukrainians were residing in Germany as of December 2024. Last October, Stern estimated that 720,000 Ukrainians were receiving citizen's benefits. The government coalition reportedly agreed to slash the payments for Ukrainians arriving in Germany after April 1 and provide them with regular refugee benefits instead. Yet, with the new regulations still pending, new arrivals from Ukraine continue to get 'citizen's benefits,' according to Bild.
Times of Oman
6 days ago
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Germany's Bavaria steps up deportation of Afghans, Syrians
Berlin: The Prime Minister of Germany's Bavaria state has once again emphasized the deportation of foreign criminals, including nationals from Afghanistan and Syria, as Germany pushes forward with a tougher migration stance, Tolo News reported. Bavarian Premier Markus Soder stated that Germany has reformed its immigration policy, sending a clear message that all criminals and human traffickers will face quicker arrest and deportation in Bavaria than in other parts of the country. "Law and order prevail in Bavaria. Foreign criminals must be decisively deported--even to Afghanistan and Syria. Overall, we have brought a shift in migration policy. The principle is: more people should be deported, and fewer should be accepted," Soder said. Tolo News reported that the remarks come amid growing concerns among Afghan nationals living in Germany, who claim the federal government has tightened its stance toward foreign nationals--particularly Afghans--by delegating more authority to state governments in deporting individuals considered criminal offenders under German law. Political analyst Najib Rahman Shamal said: "Germany has recently imposed stricter restrictions on refugees involved in criminal activities. These countries have reinforced their borders and imposed severe limitations." Refugee rights activist Alireza Karimi also weighed in, stating that Soder's remarks reflect a harsh treatment of refugees in Germany. "Insisting on the deportation of Syrian and Afghan refugees indicates a significant legal shift in German state policy," he said. Germany's renewed deportation push follows its latest action on July 17, when the country deported 81 Afghans to Kabul--marking the second such deportation this solar year, according to Tolo News. In the wake of these developments, the caretaker government of Afghanistan has appointed two diplomats, Nebras-ul-Haq Aziz and Mostafa Hashimi, to serve at its embassy in Germany, a reliable source has told Tolo News. Although the Acting Foreign Minister has not officially named the individuals, he confirmed that two diplomats have been dispatched to provide consular services to Afghan nationals. Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi stated: "We will have future talks and negotiations with Germany and, God willing, further progress. We also thank Qatar for its mediation, which, after several consecutive months of efforts, led to an understanding and agreement that enabled our diplomats to arrive there." Muttaqi praised Qatar's role in facilitating the process and hinted at potential progress in talks and relations between the Islamic Emirate and Germany. Meanwhile, the Director of Consular Services at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the passport issuance center in Bonn, Germany, will soon be reactivated after a four-year suspension. He noted that the resumption of services would help resolve passport-related issues for Afghans in Europe. Shoib Baryalai, Director of Consular Services, said: "We have a passport printing office in Bonn that has been inactive for nearly four years. God willing, passports will be issued there for all of Europe, and this will help address the problems of Afghans living in those countries." Although the German government has repeatedly emphasised that its relations with the caretaker government are technical and unofficial, some political analysts view this development as a sign of a gradual shift in Germany's stance. Political analyst Najib Rahman Shamal said: "In the past, there were calls for direct engagement. Now, with the arrival of the new government, Germany also seeks direct contact with the caretaker administration, including for the deportation of refugees." Nebras-ul-Haq Aziz previously worked at the Islamic Emirate's political office in Qatar, while Mostafa Hashimi has served in the Consular Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Al Jazeera
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
German election 2025 live results: By the numbers
Votes are now being counted across Germany where about 59 million citizens were eligible to vote in snap elections to decide who will govern the eurozone's largest economy for the next four years. Polls opened at 8am (07:00 GMT) and closed at 6pm (17:00 GMT). Here are the latest results from the federal returning officer, who oversees the elections: Germany's election authority says 52 percent of eligible voters had cast their ballots four hours before the closure of polling stations. When will we know the final results? The first local constituencies started reporting results at about 9:00pm (20:00 GMT). The overall outcome should become clear quickly with the final official results expected early on Monday. Who are the major candidates and parties? This year, 29 political parties are participating in the elections, a decrease from the 47 that contested in 2021. The main parties are: CDU/CSU – The Christian Democratic Union is led by Friedrich Merz, who is also the bloc's chancellor candidate. The Christian Social Union, the CDU's Bavarian sister party, is led by Markus Soder. AfD – The Alternative for Germany is co-led by Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla with Weidel as the AfD's chancellor candidate. SPD – The Social Democratic Party is co-led by Saskia Esken and Lars Klingbeil. Olaf Scholz serves as the party's chancellor candidate and is the incumbent chancellor. Alliance 90/The Greens – It is co-led by Franziska Brantner and Felix Banaszak, and Robert Habeck is its chancellor candidate and the current vice chancellor. The Left – The party is co-led by Ines Schwerdtner and Jan van Aken with Heidi Reichinnek and van Aken as the chancellor candidates. BSW – The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance is led by Sahra Wagenknecht, who is also the party's chancellor candidate. FDP – The Free Democratic Party is led by Christian Lindner, who also serves as the party's lead candidate. What do the latest polls indicate? The conservative CDU tops the polls with 30 percent support. The far-right AfD is predicted to win about 20 percent of the votes while the SPD, which led the previous coalition government, sits in third place with 15 percent support. How does voting work? German citizens will vote twice: once for a local member of parliament and second for a party. A party must receive at least 5 percent of the national vote to enter the Bundestag, the elected chamber of the bicameral parliament. The second vote is considered the most important and is most widely reported on election night because it determines the number of seats a party will receive overall in the Bundestag and a party's strength within a coalition government it might be part of. Whichever party secures the most seats will nominate a candidate as chancellor, and the new Bundestag will vote. The candidate must secure an absolute majority to be sworn in as the country's new leader. Germany's current distribution of seats The Bundestag has a base of 598 seats, but it can expand, reaching 733 seats in 2021, the largest in its history. A 2023 reform now limits it to 630 seats. What are the key issues? A sluggish economy, immigration and the Ukraine war have been the top issues in the campaign. Surveys suggested many voters want to pay less in taxes, but doing that will be hard. Germany has been in recession for the past two years, and its key industries are struggling to remain competitive. Unemployment is at more than 6 percent, and the debt brake, which limits government borrowing, is also causing problems. Who could be Germany's next chancellor? A coalition government will likely be formed because no one party has ever won an absolute majority. The only time a single parliamentary group secured a majority was for the parliamentary term of 1957 to 1961 when the CDU/CSU won elections in West Germany. Whichever party secures the most votes will nominate a candidate as chancellor, and the new Bundestag will vote on the person. The candidate must secure an absolute majority to be sworn in as leader. Here are the chancellor candidates of the top four parties: Merz, 69, is the frontrunner, according to the polls. He became the leader of the CDU after former Chancellor Angela Merkel stepped down in 2021. Weidel, 46, has co-led the anti-immigration AfD since 2017. Scholz, 66, from the SPD has been chancellor since December 2021. Habeck, 55, is the candidate representing the Greens. He is the current vice chancellor as well as economy and climate minister.
Japan Times
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Dozens injured as driver crashes car into Munich protest
MUNICH – An asylum-seeker from Afghanistan crashed a Mini Cooper into a union demonstration in Munich on Thursday, injuring more than two dozen people and adding to growing tensions around immigration before Germany's chancellor election next week. Authorities believe the 10:30 a.m. crash was a deliberate attack by the 24-year-old, said Markus Soder, the governor of Bavaria, the state of which Munich is the capital. Police said the car passed a police cruiser that was accompanying the demonstration and plowed into the crowd. Officers fired one shot while arresting the man. The crash site was less than a mile from the venue of the Munich Security Conference, which opens Friday and attracts high-profile participants and journalists from around the world. Police do not think the crash was connected to the conference. By the evening, as participants in the conference were arriving, the streets were calm.
