Today, Nancy Faeser addressed the German Bundestag for the first time in her capacity as Interior Minister, outlining her policy objectives. In her ten-minute speech, the Minister spoke about topics including the current security situation, law enforcement priorities and a new tone for migration policy.

Protest is part of democracy, but violence is not

Minister Faeser first addressed the current security situation, warning against increasing violence at COVID-19-related protests: “What we are seeing here are not innocuous ‘walks’ but rather orchestrated actions which take place simultaneously in many different places, repeatedly resulting in violence and massive infringements of COVID-19-related restrictions. Right-wing extremists are gaining more and more influence. They are fighting against our democracy rather than the pandemic.”

The Interior Minister appealed to the demonstrators: “To all those who go out to protest because they are concerned about vaccination, I say: Of course protest is part of democracy. Of course we are here to listen. But do not allow yourselves to be used by extremists. Distance yourselves from hatred and violence!”

Action plan against right-wing extremism

In her speech, Minister Faeser emphasised that the new Federal Government stands for a Germany “where all people can live freely and without fear – no matter what neighbourhood they live in, whom they love, what they believe in or where their families originally came from.” This, she said, is why her work as Interior Minister will focus on all extremist threats: Islamism, right-wing extremism and left-wing extremism. Referring to the National Socialist Underground (NSU), the murder of Dr Walter Lübke, the antisemitic attack in Halle and the racist killings in Hanau, she stressed that the fight against right-wing extremism was her top priority. “We will do all we can to stop radicalisation processes, dismantle right-wing extremist networks and systematically deprive extremists of their weapons,” Minister Faeser said, announcing an action plan against right-wing extremism which is to be submitted before Easter.

A new spirit in migration policy

For the field of migration, the Minister announced her plan to develop modern immigration law with the goal of attracting urgently needed workers. The Federal Government plans to provide more legal pathways for refugees: “We stand by our humanitarian responsibility for refugees. We will ensure that asylum applications are swiftly processed and we will provide good prospects for people who are well integrated.” At the same time, the government is striving to rigorously enforce returns of criminal offenders in particular. On the whole, the new “traffic light” coalition stands “for a new spirit and new action in migration policy,” the Minister said.