A senior Green Party official, Franziska Brantner, has expressed skepticism regarding the German government’s recent decision to intensify the rejection of asylum seekers, as ordered by the Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt.
Brantner, who was speaking to RTL and ntv, stated that it is evident that there are significant doubts within the SPD and the Ministry of Justice regarding the new policy. She emphasized that, at the very least, the Justice Minister should provide a justification for the decision.
The Green Party leader criticized the government’s actions, saying that it is unacceptable for a government to act in a manner that is in conflict with European law without providing a justification. She also pointed out that the numbers of asylum seekers have actually been declining, making the current policy even more difficult to justify.
When asked about the goal of allocating five percent of the country’s economic output to defense, a decision likely to be made at the upcoming NATO summit in June, Brantner did not explicitly express her support for the goal. Instead, she emphasized the importance of having the necessary capabilities to defend oneself and that there are already good preparations in place to achieve this goal.
According to Brantner, the focus should be on the European Union’s ability to defend itself, particularly in light of the weakening of the transatlantic relationship. She criticized the Chancellor’s goal of making the German army the strongest, stating that the focus should be on the EU’s collective capabilities rather than individual countries’.