“We can’t do it anymore”
Wagenknecht complains about the misuse of citizens’ money by Ukrainians
November 10, 2023, 3:41 p.m
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The planned founding of the Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht party is being followed closely, also because the programmatic key points are still vague. When it comes to questions of asylum policy, Wagenknecht at RTL and ntv advocates a significant tightening. She is also calling for gas imports from Russia to be resumed.
The former left-wing politician Sahra Wagenknecht questioned the treatment of Ukrainian war refugees in an interview with RTL and ntv. “If Ukrainians go back to their homeland, actually live there, and only come here to get the benefits, then there are big question marks,” said the politician, who is about to found a party named after her. “I know of specific cases. In my hometown, entire houses were rented for Ukrainian refugees, and the neighbors were surprised that there was no one there.” But she “doesn’t want to generalize,” said Wagenknecht and expressly recognized the suffering of Ukrainians who have lost relatives and their homeland.
Wagenknecht criticized that Europe and the USA had not done enough to end the war. Instead, the federal government unilaterally relied on the military card, but missed the stated goals. Wagenknecht would choose a completely different approach to Russia and recommends resuming gas imports. There is “no other solution in the short term to reduce energy prices,” said Wagenknecht. “We have to see our advantages.” She criticized the fact that liquefied gas from Russia continues to find its way to Germany and Europe via LNG imports.
Personally, she has “no trust in Vladimir Putin,” asserted Wagenknecht. However, she observes “that Russia is fulfilling its contractual obligations. They are still supplying a pipeline that goes through Ukraine.” Russia also offered to resupply the one line that remained despite the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines. Russia supplies Hungary, its most important ally within the EU and NATO, through Ukraine. Before the invasion of Ukraine, Gazprom had cut deliveries for months, so that the gas storage facilities operated by Russian companies in Germany were practically empty at the start of the war. The perpetrator of the Nord Stream attack is still not identified.
Thousands of emails from people interested in the party project
Wagenknecht, who left the Left Party and wants to found a party named after her in January, is calling for a different migration policy, not only when dealing with Ukrainians. She advocated noticeable cuts in benefits for rejected asylum seekers in Germany. “Anyone who is not entitled to asylum should only receive very minimal benefits,” said the 54-year-old. In this sense, Germany should take its cue from Denmark. When asked whether she really wanted to make cuts to the “poorest of the poor,” Wagenknecht replied: “The poorest of the poor don’t come to Germany. They can’t pay smugglers.” For her, it’s about “sending the signal to the world: ‘We’re overwhelmed, we can’t do it anymore.'”
According to its own information, your Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) project is well on its way. She is very satisfied with the popularity of her future party. Since the announcement, “thousands of emails have arrived” from people who wanted to take part, said Wagenknecht. “I think that’s a lot for a start two weeks ago.” It is impressive how “the breadth of society is reflected” among those interested. Wagenknecht and nine other left-wing members of the Bundestag left the party in October to set up the BSW, which so far only exists as an association.
RTL shows Sahra Wagenknecht’s full interview with Nikolaus Blome in the “RTL Nachtjournal”, on the night of Friday to Saturday at midnight.