EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) sharply attacked the AfD and described it as “destructive, mendacious and forgetful of history”. She spoke on Wednesday at the end of the CDU party conference in Berlin at the start of the “hot phase” of the European election campaign.
Before the European elections, the AfD was making propaganda for Russian President Vladimir Putin and conducting espionage for China, said von der Leyen, referring to reports about payments from Russia to an AfD politician and the accusation of espionage against the employee of an AfD MEP. The AfD “rants” about the fatherland, said von der Leyen, but then betrays it. The chairmen of the CDU and CSU, Friedrich Merz and Markus Söder, had also sharply attacked the AfD at the party conference.
Von der Leyen “finally” wants the European Capital Markets Union
Von der Leyen also called for significant efforts to combat illegal migration in Europe. It should not be left to the smugglers and smugglers to decide who comes to Europe. Anyone who is not entitled to asylum must return, said the EU Commission President, who is aiming for a second term in office after the European elections at the beginning of June. Democracy is only strong when it offers solutions. If that happens, people won’t fall for those who sow hatred.
Von der Leyen reiterated the goal of strengthening the European economy. In this context, she called for a European capital markets union to be “finally” completed. Companies need to be given less instructions and more trust. She announced that she would abolish a quarter of the “miserable reporting requirements” for companies. The EU President objected to Europe being “flooded” with “massively” subsidized Chinese electric cars. Competition is good, “dumping” is not.
“We stand for a Europe of reason”
The delegates at the CDU party conference reaffirmed the strict migration course already agreed upon in the new basic program in a key motion on European policy, which summarizes the key points of the European program. The CDU wants asylum seekers to go through a procedure in a safe third country. Even if they were granted asylum status there, it would not be certain whether they would come to a European country. Only quotas should be included.
In the European application, which is entitled “In freedom. In safety. In Europe,” the CDU calls for “a real defense union: with an EU defense commissioner and a European missile defense shield.” Europe must assume more responsibility in NATO and significantly expand its own military capabilities. The CDU also advocates the joint development and procurement of military equipment.
In terms of economic policy, the CDU promises, among other things, to abolish the ban on combustion engines. “We stand for a Europe of reason that thinks about the economy, energy and climate protection together,” it says in the application. The climate protection goals should be achieved with “market economy mechanisms and technological openness”.