Chemnitz – Lord Mayor: Merkel's visit is too late – Politics

• The mayor of Chemnitz, Barbara Ludwig, criticized Chancellor Merkel for not coming to the city after the Chemnitz riots in August.
• Ludwig complained that other things had always been more important.
• Merkel wants to go to Chemnitz on November 16th.

Chemnitz Mayor Barbara Ludwig (SPD) has criticized German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) for not visiting Chemnitz after the August riots. That they are coming now in two weeks, was way too late and will "stir up" the Saxon city, the SPD politician told the MDR on Friday. Merkel wants to visit the city on November 16th and among others with the readers of the newspaper Free Press discuss.

She had already invited the Chancellor after the incidents in Chemnitz in early September, Ludwig said. "It took so long, other things were more important." Because the Chancellor has never correctly explained her decisions on migration in 2015, confidence in the state has been lost, the mayor said. That's what you feel today about security. In this respect, she very much regrets that Mrs Merkel does not come until mid-November. "It will be another tough day for Chemnitz," Ludwig said.

Federal President Steinmeier was in Chemnitz on Thursday

At the same time, she acknowledged that brief visits from politicians did not fundamentally change anything. Problems on the ground are not resolved when federal politicians "come for a few hours" and then leave again. Likewise, Thursday had the citizens of Chemnitz after a so-called coffee table with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed. The head of state had already gone to Dresden.

Federal Minister of Family Franziska Giffey (SPD) wants to visit the Saxon city of Chemnitz this Saturday. A spokesman for the ministry said Friday in Berlin that Giffey would meet, among others, the mayor Barbara Ludwig (SPD), give a speech, visit companies and inform projects to promote democracy. The Federal Ministry of Family is involved in the financing of projects against extremism and for democracy.

In Chemnitz, a 35-year-old asylum seeker was reportedly stabbed to death in late August. Then there was a riot of rights. Since then, several protesters have been convicted, among others, for presenting Hitler's salvation during a summary procedure. Demonstrations against Merkel's visit have been announced for 16 November. The right-wing citizen's initiative "Pro Chemnitz" has announced a rally in front of the Karl-Marx monument every Friday for the next few months.