Frank-Walter Steinmeier criticizes the Union's asylum dispute

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier attacked the CDU and the CSU for their treatment in the asylum dispute. The debate of recent days has not been tied, he said during the interview of the ZDF broadcast "Berlin direkt."

"We have to go back to the reason for a debate that has stabilized us in 70 years of German history". He thinks that "this has consequences for what we have experienced here, for political culture". He has received calls from foreign presidents worried these days, but also letters from many citizens in part indignant.

Thus, the federal president warned against a brutalization of the language. Asked about the term "asylum tourism" used by Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU), Steinmeier said that government parties were required to "pay attention to language". Söder refers to people who want to first apply for asylum in another EU country and then in Germany.

Especially in digital media, the "limit of the unspeakable and the unspeakable" may become blurred. He does not believe in exaggerated political correctness. But you must argue responsibly. "It also requires some discipline in the language," said Steinmeier.

Steinmeier pointed out on ZDF that terms such as "Axis of the willing" (put into play by Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz for closer cooperation between Austria, Italy and Italy). Germany) are not an "appropriate language". The road to a common migration policy in Europe is finally rather tedious. "That's why I think we should not cultivate a language that can still divide."

A few days before the NATO summit in Brussels, Steinmeier called on European member states to take on more responsibilities. "Europe must be aware that not only the security situation in Europe has changed, but also the transatlantic relations and therefore the role of the United States within NATO," said Steinmeier [19659008]. Defense spending – Germany is asking for a higher contribution. In addition, some fear that the United States, under the presidency of Donald Trump, may reduce their participation in NATO.