ARCHIV - 19.07.2022, Sachsen, Dresden: Michael Kretschmer (CDU), Ministerpräsident von Sachsen, spricht während der letzten Kabinetts-Pressekonferenz vor der Sommerpause in der Sächsischen Staatskanzlei auf dem Podium zu Journalisten. (zu dpa «Fracking-Diskussion: Sachsens Ministerpräsident pflichtet Söder bei») Foto: Robert Michael/dpa +++ dpa-Bildfunk +++

The Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) relies on deterrence in view of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. “It is important that we meet Russia with our own strength, our own strength – with deterrence, if you will,” he told the Tagesspiegel. Germany must invest in its security and that of Europe.

Specifically, Kretschmer called for a missile defense shield that protects the Baltic countries as well as Romania and Bulgaria. Germany must not only invest 100 billion euros once in defense, but also permanently comply with the NATO target and spend two percent of the gross domestic product on defense.

“I can also get a lot out of the idea of ​​a mandatory social year, which would also bring more young people to the Bundeswehr or to disaster control,” Kretschmer told the Tagesspiegel. He hopes that this will also be the position of the Union after a debate at the CDU party conference.

However, Kretschmer sees Germany’s strength in acute jeopardy. “This war is making us economically weaker and weaker. We have an extreme slump in exports, in the consumer climate and high inflation. These are dimensions that we didn’t know,” said Kretschmer, who again campaigned for peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. In the end, the war could only be ended in this way, the current situation is extremely dangerous. “We’re sitting on a powder keg.”

Kretschmer trusts Germany to play a mediating role in the conflict: “The Federal Republic enjoys great trust throughout the world,” he told the Tagesspiegel. Germany has repeatedly mediated and negotiated in the past decades.

“That was our strength for decades,” said the Prime Minister, referring to Angela Merkel, Helmut Kohl, Willy Brandt and Hans-Dietrich Genscher. “You have to take the diplomatic initiative now to stop this war,” said Kretschmer.

He also called on the traffic light government to change course on energy policy. “I have always been critical of dependency on foreign countries. That’s why Germany now has to weigh everything that we have in our country in terms of resources,” Kretschmer told the Tagesspiegel.

If the gas from Russia is no longer available as a bridging technology, one would also have to fall back on one’s own gas deposits. “Domestic fracking gas would be a way to reduce dependence on Russia and also on the world market,” said Kretschmer. And further: “For the gas power plant, it doesn’t matter whether we use LNG gas from the USA, pipeline gas from Russia or fracking gas from Germany. Only the price differs enormously.”

Kretschmer believes the traffic light government’s energy policy has failed. “It’s a path this country can’t take. These energy prices are destroying everything that is the basis for our healthy economy and social peace,” he told the Tagesspiegel. The federal government should not act “ideology-driven”, but must use all capacities for lignite, hydropower, biomass and nuclear power. “The prices have to go down,” said Kretschmer.

Unlike Bundestag Vice President Wolfgang Kubicki (FDP), however, Kretschmer does not believe in using the German-Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2. Previously, Russian President Vladimir Putin had promised to pump gas to Germany via the unused pipeline. “We all know that this is a poisoned offer,” said Kretschmer. Nord Stream 1 is working. “The reduction in the amount of gas is a reaction to the sanctions that we have imposed.”