Kretschmer calls for several ministerial posts for the East

For a drastic reduction in the number of government appointees

Merz had called for a reduction in the size of the state apparatus during the election campaign and also mentioned the federal government appointees in this context. He said that they only promised to solve problems "that we wouldn't have without them". Merz named a figure of 34 commissioners at the time.

Kretschmer also spoke out in favor of drastically reducing the number of commissioners in a future government. "If you have one or two commissioners, it shows that you set priorities, that things are important to you. If you have 10 or 20, it's inflation."

In order to reduce emigration from eastern German states and offer incentives for young people, the Union wants to expand the medical infrastructure and science, said Kretschmer. This also applies to the transport infrastructure, such as high-speed train connections.

Dealing with the AfD: Don't become a martyr

When asked what tips he had for dealing with the AfD in the Bundestag, which will be the second-largest parliamentary group after the election, Kretschmer said that the main thing now was to solve problems. This starts with migration and economic policy. But it is also about the question of how to expand wind energy, for example. The problems must be solved intelligently and in consensus with the population. At the same time, everything that "leads to these troops being able to present themselves as martyrs" must be avoided.

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