Federal President Steinmeier on asylum policy: "Back to reason"

The Federal President Steinmeier faces a dispute after the Pardon Asylum of the savvy language. The government should be busy with important problems again, he asked during the ZDF's summer interview.

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has made clear criticisms of the style of the recent asylum conflict in the governing coalition, urging them to revisit the urgent problems of the people. In the summer interview of ZDF, he criticized the term "asylum tourism."

He had received calls from the foreign presidents concerned, but also letters from many indignant citizens. "I believe we have to go back to the reason for a debate that has stabilized us in 70 years of German history," said Steinmeier. Politics must now focus again on the urgent problems of the future. Many people felt neglected with their problems, with problems like boarding or care.

"Europe must badume more responsibility"

The government crisis has not benefited the role of Germany as a point of anchoring stability. Germany must continue to promote that "we remain on a common European path". Europe should, however, under the protectionist policy of US President Donald Trump, badert that it must take on more responsibility itself. "Europeans should not run out in outrage at the US administration," Steinmeier warned. "What I really feel like a threat in Europe is that we have been dealing with us for seven years." It should be over. Europe needed to be more confident in its role in the world.