Parties

Seehofer’s Travel

In the refugee policy, Merkel’s greatest adversary in the ranks of Bavaria’s Minister-President Horst Seehofer. In this business he currently operates a sort of “foreign policy”. This is so common?

Unusual is the commitment of the Bavarian Minister-President Horst Seehofer’s not is Also Minister of other provinces business trips abroad, and talk with the state tip. Mainly, it is mostly typical of the country matters as Investor relations, collaborations for anniversaries or cultural projects. To want also be Foreign policy, by contrast, is a characteristic of Bavaria and has a long Tradition. An invention by Horst Seehofer, is not “foreign policy”.

His predecessor, the legendary CSU Chairman Franz-Josef Strauß, operating in the 1970s and 1980s, although he had no Bundestag mandate from Bavaria, from a foreign policy of its own. He used, for example, much to the dismay of other parties fall, close relations to the military dictatorships in Paraguay and Chile. In 1983, he arranged – also highly controversial – a billion credit for the GDR. Also the later Prime Minister, Edmund Stoiber, made 2011 headlines when he refused to accept Turkey’s membership is strictly and up to his retirement in 2007, he fought. This Tradition Seehofer wants to build.

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In November 2015, the CSU wrote to General Secretary Andreas Scheuer is a guest contribution for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung with the Headline, “foreign policy, a question of existence”. Scheuers reasoning: The crises of the present day has resulted in the “largest foreign policy turning point since 1989”. Germany had, however, made in this field, most recently, “a strong character”. Angela Merkel’s “Open gate policy” was a special path, which is not supported by its European neighbors. That Germany do not berate other countries for it, because you responded to the “boundlessness policy of Berlin”, was a mistake. Rather, it is important to take the complaints Seriously and to revise the policy of its own. “It is time that our foreign policy, tackles, holds Europe together, the boundaries, and secures a strong Position externally,” wrote Scheuer in the spirit of his party leader Seehofer.

In December, the CSU made their announcement seriously. The Bavarian Minister of economic Affairs, went to Moscow. In Munich, Seehofer invited to a “foreign policy Club,” then went to Bulgaria. Highlight of the Offensive of the visit Seehofer’s and Stoiber’s the beginning of December, Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Re provocation: The Hungarian head of government, Viktor Orbán, is visited by Horst Seehofer

On Friday now Horst Seehofer, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor will visit Orban. After that, it goes to Kiev, later in the year, once again, to Moscow. “We are strengthening our Eastern Europe strategy,” said Seehofer, who is now in a “mirror”-Interview. The sake of completeness it must be said that the relations between Russia and Hungary, and to Putin and Orban are already since years.

Battle with Merkel

The “foreign policy” Seehofer’s has a clear geographical direction. This has, in turn, a current political reason. Warsaw, Budapest and Munich unites the criticism of Merkel’s policy on refugees. Here Seehofer find allies in the spirit. And this will strengthen him in the internal political confrontation in Berlin: Seehofer does not want to enforce as a “national solution” is an upper limit for refugees, because he believes that Merkel’s European path.

But Seehofer is also Driven. Most of the refugees, the German territory in Bavaria. Although the Bavarians are masters of the Situation model, has increased the displeasure with the associated challenges and consequences in the last few weeks and months. This is the mood in the Bavarian municipalities on the master tables and at the CSU-politicians want and need to take Seehofer, if he wants to be his claim, and the Tradition, to be a tribune of the people.

To success required

So far, Seehofer’s not beweht foreign policy, Merkel to repentance. Also, the move by Moscow to ease EU economic sanctions against Russia, among which also the Bavarian exports will suffer, not to have swayed the Chancellor. The sanctions will remain imposed, such as the Minsk agreement is fully implemented. Really successful Seehofer’s Offensive is not so.

But success is measured for Seehofer also different. The absolute majority for the CSU in Bavaria. Therefore, the ability to be able to alone and without a coalition partner to govern. Contrary to Strauss’s times, this is not a self-runner. The refugee situation and the profiteer, the right-wing party AfD, zoom in on this uncertainty. 2018 will be elected in Bavaria. Actually want to pull Seehofer then back and its transactions “ordered” to a new Generation, with comfortable power relations for the CSU. So, this is one of his basic beliefs, have the CSU is an important voice to have in Berlin a say in it, even though it is actually only a regional party.