During the election campaign talk of eight leading candidates from Brandenburg’s parties, there was a scandal in the dispute over migration and security two weeks before the state election: AfD leading candidate Hans-Christoph Berndt left the hall of the discussion hosted by “Tagesspiegel” and “Potsdamer Neuesten Nachrichten” in the Hans-Otto Theater after just over half an hour. Berndt was of the opinion that he had not had enough of a turn up to that point, even though everyone was being questioned one by one. “Why didn’t you just invite Mr. Woidke? Why did you put us there as an ornament?” asked Berndt.
Exchange of blows over how to deal with refugees
Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke called for more efforts to deport foreigners who are required to leave the country. “It’s about implementing the law,” said the SPD’s top candidate. He demanded: “We must limit irregular migration.” AfD parliamentary group leader Berndt accused him of having been inactive so far and called for a ban on asylum seekers entering the country to be enforced through access controls. The AfD Brandenburg is classified by the state’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a suspected right-wing extremist case.
CDU state and parliamentary group leader Jan Redmann attacked Woidke sharply and accused him of changing course with the demand for border controls. “As with so many issues, they have changed sides,” he said. Woidke rejected this. FDP state leader Zyon Braun criticized the lack of deportation detention places. Left parliamentary group leader Sebastian Walter accused the other candidates: “Everyone is moving to the right.”
Green Party top candidate Antje Töpfer warned that it would not be productive to close borders. Woidke replied that it would be counterproductive to do nothing. Free Voters regional leader Péter Vida called for clear rules for asylum seekers who commit crimes if “a tiny minority behaves like this.”
Woidke leaves possible successor open
The head of government confirmed that he would step down if the AfD and not his SPD became the strongest force. “My greatest challenge is to prevent people who are at least suspected of right-wing extremism from ever having a say in this country again,” he said. He did not answer a reader’s question, which was read out, about who should be his successor. “We will then discuss it accordingly.”
BSW state leader: No “orders” from party leadership
BSW state chairman Robert Crumbach rejected the accusation that party founder Sahra Wagenknecht was setting the course: “We talk to each other, we make politics as one, but it’s not like orders are being given.” In his view, the war in Ukraine must be addressed in possible coalition talks, it is a crucial question at the polls. The panel discussion also covered education policy, among other things.
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