Germany – Anxious To Stave Off AfD, Government Proposes Refugee Community Service

Germany is preparing for October elections. Though they are regional, the polls are seen as a test of how content people are with Ms Merkel’s latest (and probably last) government which is once again a grand coalition of the left-wing SPD and the right-wing CDU/CSU. Ms Merkel fears to lose more votes on the right after the anti-immigration AfD (Alternative for Germany) rose to 14% in the election last year and has mostly managed to get through an electoral period without scandal.

Therefore, some of her party members will be seen launching proposals to please the right-wing voters in the next few weeks. If any of those ideas are seen as popular, the CDU will have better known politicians talk about it.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="de" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/_a_k_k?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_a_k_k</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/krampkarrenbauer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#krampkarrenbauer</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cdu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cdu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/afd?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#afd</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bild?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bild</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/irrsinn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#irrsinn</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/asyl?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#asyl</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dienstpflicht?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dienstpflicht</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/spiegel?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#spiegel</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/groko?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#groko</a> toll. dann haben ja <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fl%C3%BCchtlinge?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#flüchtlinge</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gef%C3%A4hrder?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#gefährder</a> ja gleich viel einfacher zugang zu waffen etc. supervorschlag. <a href="https://t.co/0c5aUeaPri">https://t.co/0c5aUeaPri</a></p>&mdash; Stefan G. (@grimbsel) <a href="https://twitter.com/grimbsel/status/1033270947065880578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2018</a></blockquote>

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Today, in a grandly staged press briefing for all of the Funke Mediengruppe newspapers and the French newspaper Ouest-France, CDU General Secretary Ms Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, a rising star within the party, claimed that many conservative party members support reinstating some form of mandatory community service in order to promote social and national cohesion, in other words, the CDU would like to propose that refugees sign up for a year of community service.

Related coverage: <a href="http://thegoldwater.com/news/34934-Germany-Close-Europe-s-External-Borders-Advises-Austrian-PM-Kurz-At-CDU-Conference"> Germany - ‘Close Europe’s External Borders,’ Advises Austrian PM Kurz At CDU Conference</a>.

Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer said the CDU members "also assume that the service is not only for German nationals, but also for refugees and asylum-seekers, who are of legal age and live in Germany."

"If refugees complete such a year, either voluntarily or mandatorily, that helps with their integration in the country and society. And among the population it would increase acceptance that refugees live among us."

Related coverage: <a href="https://thegoldwater.com/news/30389-Austria-PM-Kurz-Threatens-To-Close-Border-Over-Merkel-Asylum-Agreement-Video"> Austria - PM Kurz Threatens To Close Border Over Merkel Asylum Agreement (Video)</a>.

As you know, Germany has taken in more than a million refugees and asylum-seekers since 2015, leading to both public backlash and concerns about integration as voters swung to the right.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="de" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KrampKarrenbauer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KrampKarrenbauer</a> schlägt <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pflichtdienst?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pflichtdienst</a> auch für <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Fl%C3%BCchtlinge?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flüchtlinge</a> vor <a href="https://t.co/WGvYB5jkbB">https://t.co/WGvYB5jkbB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dienstpflicht?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dienstpflicht</a> sehr gut und natürlich auch für Zuwanderer im Rahmen des für alle geltenden Rechts. <a href="https://t.co/legw8DhEqE">https://t.co/legw8DhEqE</a></p>&mdash; Michael Opielka (@MichaelOpielka) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelOpielka/status/1033267549218201601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2018</a></blockquote>

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Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer furthermore explained that the CDU would discuss four models for reinstating a community service year for men and women at the party conference in December, aka after the October election results.

Source:

https://www.morgenpost.de/politik/article215170157/Kramp-Karrenbauer-fordert-Dienstjahr-fuer-Fluechtlinge.html