Populists and Liberal, Left-and right-fighting tooth and nail to the future of Europe. In the DW-broadcast Conflict Zone of four politicians of various Stripes discussed the most important topics shortly before the European elections.
The European policy of deep ditches – pull so deep that the competing visions for the future of the EU threaten the very existence of the Federal States. This was also in the wide-ranging and heated debate, which took place on Tuesday evening at the Conflict Zone, the political talk of the DW. Four politicians discussed the deep division of Europe and tried to make their political opponents to dismantle it. A popular means to do this: the accusation, a statement of the opponent is based on “fake news”.
That is exactly what Maximilian Krah of the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) is invoked. He accused the liberal MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld from the Netherlands, your statement of the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban would allow “refugees to starve to death and you lock the Container”, to be untrue.
The Human rights organization Human Rights Watch reported in August 2018 that Hungarian authorities had ceased to distribute food to rejected asylum seekers in the transit zone between Hungary and Serbia. In 2017, Hungary had announced to the refugees in containers.
Highly controversial: container village for refugees at the border between Hungary and Serbia to 2017
The social-democratic MEP Jo Leinen, Dominik Tarczynski of the Polish government party, the PiS went sharp. Tarczynski had claimed that Angela Merkel’s refugee policy was so open, because Germany needed cheap labour. “It’s really hard, so that kind of bullshit to listen to,” said Leinen. “But okay, that’s democracy.”
The fear of terrorism
The four politicians met in a Studio in the European Parliament to each other and discussed in front of invited guests from the civil society. Some of the guests had the Chance to ask the politicians questions. The themes that emerged, reflected, for example, the Concerns of the employees of non-governmental organizations, working in Parts of Europe, always the enemy in fact, and conditions.
Andrew Stroehlein of Human Rights Watch addressed his question to the populists Krah and Tarczynski: “you want a Christian Europe. Where to stay since those of us who are not Christians? We are second-class citizens?” Tarczynski said: “I don’t want the Islamization of Europe. I don’t want any terrorism in Europe. There are no Christians who call ‘God the Lord’ before you blow yourself up.” Stroehlein was then compared to the other participants of his Frustration on air and asked how they planned because, “these Crazy stop” in the elections. Sophie in ‘t Veld said, pro-European forces in the middle of the political spectrum had been too technocratic, and too scared to make a “Europe of values”. This wool, you are encouraging. Tarczynski interjected: “that’s Why they will lose this election. You will lose them.” In ‘t Veld’s response was “Want to bet?”.
Human rights and trade issues
Moderator Tim Sebastian, took up the theme of European values and asked the years of the MEPs lines, whether the EU as the world’s largest trade Union to take really their Power, to defend these values. “You speak a lot about human rights,” said Sebastian. “But you still close the commercial contracts with the Egyptians. Since you are not using the influence that you have, is it?”
Egypt’s President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the first summit between the Arab League and the EU in February 2019
“We are the largest market in the world, but politically, we are a dwarf,” replied linen. “And we need to actually represent our political views in the world.”
Alexandrina Najmowicz, Director of the European Civic Forum, an umbrella organisation for European NGOs, asked the social democratic and liberal politicians, how States want to avoid, define themselves via the exclusion of others, and “less and less space for civil resistance”. Jo Leinen answered, it is first important to put the “social Dimension of European policy at the centre”. He was but on the other hand, to reduce countries, which do not adhere to EU rules, the money.
The dispute the subject of Migration and Muslims
The politicians clashed also on the issue of immigration. Tarczynski defended his Vision of a Christian Europe. “What I want is a new structure of society without Christianity,” said the Pole. “I don’t like people who play around with, as the [U.S. philanthropist and Investor George] Soros. He’s playing with Nations. He financed organizations, which are absolutely anti-Christian.”
Sophie in ‘t Veld countered and said that nationalist and extremist parties, the rights of women and Homosexual attacks. Then the AfD-politician said Krah, and that these rights were now in danger “because of the Muslim immigration to Europe, you have orchestrated.”
Watch Video 56:00
The Debate: Which way is Europe heading?
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