Horst Seehofer: Homeland as he sees it

Structural policy instead of folksiness: The new home minister is emphasizing unexcited. However, Seehofer does not get the sharpener and bullhorner out of himself.

Horst Seehofer: Homeland as he sees it

The new federal government has been working for six weeks – but a minister is still looking for his place. Horst Seehofer marches purposefully into hall, fully occupied with around 60 capital-city journalists, who sit at long table rows, pushed toger to a rectangle. In search of his chair, new federal interior minister his way past television cameras on long side, until it is noticeable that he has already gone past his name sign. Seehofer beckons, chuckles, pushes himself past tripods, turns on way back to head end.

For him, paths are still new in ministry, which is now also responsible for homeland. What he understands about homeland politics: to explain this, Seehofer has invited Ministry of Interior to press conference for first time in his new function.

The question of cross lets it drip

Since re has never been a home minister in Confederation, only five in Bavaria and only a year in North Rhine-Westphalia, Seehofer does not have to shy away from comparisons and can first of all become fundamental. At any rate, he cannot share criticism of planned budget. Finally, his uprated Interior Ministry 400 new posts, eleven departments were 14, and finance minister has 4.5 billion euros in addition. "Full Satisfaction", is CSU chief.

And where with all money? At least not in "operational support programs", as Seehofer says. Rar, he understands his house as "conceptual department that makes principle work". Then or ministries are allowed to implement. It says: Seehofer will not move across country with support for new broadband cables. But he wants to tell his cabinet colleagues where to start digging.

"I have already established a home ministry in Bavaria," he says. In same way as re, this should now be done in Covenant: "We have created an atlas with economic characteristics to identify regions with need for action." This atlas was n a kind of house aufgabenheft for all ministries. Accordingly, in Federal Ministry, an entire department should work in a mirrored way with or ministries. Where are doctors, railway tracks, a university? Structural policy, spatial planning, se are words that Seehofer is currently throwing around.

No Dirndl and lear pants policy

He can talk about it from experience, finds Seehofer. His hometown of Ingolstadt had long been a "weak problem region". Except Audi nothing's going on. "And when Audi coughed, we were all sick." In meantime Ingolstadt is actually one of richest areas in already rich Bavaria. His state secretary, Markus Kerber, who has brought Seehofer back to politics for this purpose, jumps to him, also with a story from his homeland. "I come from Ulm, that was an industrial city." Through clever structural policy, it has become a "City of Knowledge".

Seehofer's speech about his home ministry sounds so unoffensive and temperate after boring political brown bread that some journalists become suspicious. Where is CSU chief, who subtracts Bierzeltpöblend Islam from Germany and likes to knock sayings about social fraud and criminal refugees? Was it not exactly for this that Home Ministry was created to set a sign of white-blue cultural hegemony with much pomp?

Perhaps it works so much more to elicit Seehofer: What he believes is that in Bavaria's offices hang crosses, a journalist asks. And wher he wants to keep that in his office exactly like that.

"I'm going to say things that are related to work of my successor, nothing," says Seehofer coolly. And if you may, after press conference you are invited to go to his office and look at what is hanging on wall. He also wanted to carry out "no folksiness with Dirndl and Lederhosen" in his Berlin ministry – even if that, as he quickly represses, is of course important for many.

On subject of Ellwangen, old Seehofer comes

Please do not reduce home debate to an ideological struggle. "Homeland is place where we feel at home and safe," he says. Therefore, it is also perfectly OK that many people have several homelands.

This was question block on topic of homeland, decides Seehofer's new spokeswoman – a woman, as landlord had pointed out at outset. That will give "better photos" in future than in past.

Home Minister's departure, Interior minister's appearance. And thus again sharpener Seehofer takes place at table. The events in refugee accommodation in Ellwangen were "a slap in face of right-handed population," he says. "We must not trample on rights of right." There is again seehofer who wants fewer refugees and who wants to deport Maghreb to safe region of origin. The Seehofer, who has "great sympathy" for residence duty and wants to open until September first collection accommodation, so-called anchor centers.

The unexcited home minister sometimes turns to bright Innenminster. So, Seehofer, who wanted to sue federal government for open borders until a few months ago, is now also saying things like, "I'm not for a foreclosure of Germany." Maybe he's already found his place.

Date Of Update: 04 May 2018, 12:02
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