07.09.2016
DW.de
There were more jobs, falling unemployment, increased purchasing power, and her government had presided over the largest pension increase in 23 years, she said.
"We have used the good revenues to strengthen social security," the Chancellor told parliament, referring to strong tax revenues from a buoyant economy.
Her speech came three days after her Christian Democrats (CDU) suffered an embarrassing defeat to the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in her home state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania.
Core values unchanged
Merkel tried to reassure the public, many of whom are concerned about whether the country can accommodate so many migrants over a short timeframe, saying that "Germany would remain Germany, and so would all that is dear to it."
Vowing to step up efforts repatriate failed asylum seekers, she insisted the overall "situation is much better now than a year ago, but there remains a lot to do."
For those migrants with good prospects of staying, Merkel said her government had sped up integration measures, including education and accommodation.
But she denied that the sheer number of migrants would lead to a cut in welfare for Germans.
AfD singled out
While accepting that the AfD was a "challenge," Merkel warned other parties against inflammatory language used by the right-wing populists, who she accused of misleading the public.
[Angela Merkel, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Sigmar Gabriel]
Merkel with her foreign and economy ministers
She said if all MPs used the same tactics as the AfD, then "only those who rely on slogans and seemingly easy answers," would win. She said it was important to win back the people's trust by keeping to the truth.
"When we join in with this behavior where facts are ignored or brushed aside, then a responsible and constructive debate is no longer possible," she told parliament.
Turning to international issues, Merkel described the ongoing civil war in Syria as "atrocious" and urged the US and Russia to press for a ceasefire agreement.
She also defended her handling of German-Turkish relations and said a European Union deal with Ankara to curb the flow of migrants was necessary and could serve as a model for agreements with other countries.
mm/jil (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
No comments yet.
-
HRW: ARMENIA: AFTER YEREVAN PROTESTS, DETENTIONS UNDER SCRUTINY, ACTIVISTS IN UNJUSTIFIED PRETRIAL DETENTION The Caucasus and Turkish-Armenian Relations 07.09.2016
- THE RUSSIA-SAUDI OIL COOPERATION IS ACTUALLY A SIGN OF 'EXTREME ECONOMIC DURESS' Asia - Pacific 07.09.2016
- RUSSIA'S PUTIN OFFERS SUPPORT TO NEW UZBEKISTAN LEADERSHIP Asia - Pacific 07.09.2016
-
DIJSSELBLOEM: FIGHT TAX AVOIDANCE TO BOOST EU EQUALITY Europe - EU 07.09.2016
- ARMENIA’S GROSS PUBLIC DEBT UP BY 6,3%, STATISTICAL SERVICE SAYS The Caucasus and Turkish-Armenian Relations 07.09.2016
-
THE ARMENIAN QUESTION - BASIC KNOWLEDGE AND DOCUMENTATION -
THE TRUTH WILL OUT -
RADİKAL ERMENİ UNSURLARCA GERÇEKLEŞTİRİLEN MEZALİMLER VE VANDALİZM -
PATRIOTISM PERVERTED -
MEN ARE LIKE THAT -
BAKÜ-TİFLİS-CEYHAN BORU HATTININ YAŞANAN TARİHİ -
INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS ON THE EVENTS OF 1915 -
FAKE PHOTOS AND THE ARMENIAN PROPAGANDA -
ERMENİ PROPAGANDASI VE SAHTE RESİMLER -
A Letter From Japan - Strategically Mum: The Silence of the Armenians -
Japonya'dan Bir Mektup - Stratejik Suskunluk: Ermenilerin Sessizliği -
Anastas Mikoyan: Confessions of an Armenian Bolshevik -
Sovyet Sonrası Ukrayna’da Devlet, Toplum ve Siyaset - Değişen Dinamikler, Dönüşen Kimlikler -
Ermeni Sorunuyla İlgili İngiliz Belgeleri (1912-1923) - British Documents on Armenian Question (1912-1923) -
Turkish-Russian Academics: A Historical Study on the Caucasus -
Gürcistan'daki Müslüman Topluluklar: Azınlık Hakları, Kimlik, Siyaset -
Armenian Diaspora: Diaspora, State and the Imagination of the Republic of Armenia -
ERMENİ SORUNU - TEMEL BİLGİ VE BELGELER (2. BASKI)
-
CONFERENCE TITLED “HUNGARY’S PERSPECTIVES ON THE TURKIC WORLD"