Overview
- Michael Kretschmer, Saxony’s minister-president and a CDU vice chair, told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung on Saturday that Germany is sliding into a downward spiral, issuing a public warning with proposals rather than announcing policy.
- He argued that current energy and climate rules make power too expensive and said German industry will not survive if electricity remains a costly, scarce resource.
- He urged cheaper electricity by changing CO2 charges that raise the price of lignite-fired power, referring to brown coal plants that pay more because of carbon pricing.
- He pointed to Poland’s growth above 3% versus Germany’s recession and called for a hard look at Polish energy and labor costs as a guide for reforms.
- He also said asylum arrivals have eased but deportations of rejected applicants lag, and he pressed for fixes that people can feel in daily life.