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tv   Merkels Heir  BBC News  April 14, 2019 4:30pm-5:01pm BST

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hello, this is bbc news this is bbc news, i'm julian worricker. with julian worricker. the headlines at 5pm: around freezing or below. the headlines: so, tomorrow, pretty much the same, one person has died and at least 19 so most of the cloud will be in the west of the country closer the cabinet office minister david others are taken to hospital after a crash involving two cars to the weather front lidington says the government and a double decker bus and the low pressure here actually coming on as well. and labour will both have on the isle of wight. so maybe some rain for cornwall, to compromise as they look to break a leaked recording has emerged it's been declared a major incident. western fringes of wales, of the labour leaderjeremy corbyn, possibly one or two spots in northern ireland. in which he privately expresses the cabinet office minister david also a couple of showers concern that officials have either lidington says the government there in eastern scotland. lost, mislaid or ignored evidence but the central swathe and labour will both have to compromise as they look to break of the uk are the way down of anti—semitism in the party. of the uk all the way down the deadlock over brexit. teachers across the uk to the south coast will be fine. say poverty is harming a leaked recording ofjeremy corbyn children's ability to learn, reveals that the labour party lost, 1a degrees already in london, as research suggests some and then really through the week pupils are struggling mislaid or ignored evidence ahead, we say goodbye because they go to school hungry of anti—semitism in the party. to the colder weather. or without enough sleep. you can see the colder airand the warmer currents of air will wind. currents of air will win. and that warm air will be arriving from the south and then eventually the south—east, so the continent will be warming up as well. the labour mp who made the recording tuesday, we do have quite a bit and an update far you are on events of cloud across the country and also says the handling of anti—semitic complaints should be taken away you will notice some blue, on the isle of wight. i mentioned one or two spots of rain, parts of a road accident that were from the party altogether. but the winds by then we'll have switched directions, coming in from the isle of wight nhs but the winds by then will have there is no alternative switched directions, trust a moment ago. they have but to have that independent so that means 15 in london, double figures there in central scotland as well. declared this as a major incident, a by wednesday, it really serious road traffic incident is is all change, so sunshine throughout much of the country, what they say. it took part in a new just a few clouds here and there.
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those temperatures starting to rise dramatically from wednesday. part, to make cars and a bus, the in fact, by wednesday, i suspect those temperatures will be isle of wight nhs trust confirming hitting around 18 degrees in london and the mid—teens in central scotland. farm—mac people have been airlifted bye— bye. to mainland hospitals and currently 15 have been brought into st mary's hospital which is in a new part and the spokeswoman saying the patients we re the spokeswoman saying the patients were possibly taking two hospitals in portsmouth or southampton. a major incident declared by the isle of wight nhs. now on bbc news — they call her akk — the woman who's replaced angela merkel as the leader of germany's cdu and could take charge of the nation when mrs merkel steps down. in this special interview, annegret kramp—karrenbauer talks to our europe editor, katya adler. i've come to berlin to meet a female german politician who's had a meteoric rise to international recognition overjust the last couple of years. annegret kramp—karrenbauer, otherwise known as akk, is the leader of germany's centre—right cdu party, and she is widely tipped to become
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the next chancellor of germany — the eu's biggest and most powerful country. now, if she pulls it off she will have very big boots to fill. angela merkel has dominated german politics for pretty much two decades now. so what can we expect from merkel‘s heir? translation: i was born in saarland in 1962. it's a small region in germany. it's a classic industrial region. there was a big mining pit close to my parents‘ house, which was then closed in the 1960s. my grandfather was a miner. my brother and my husband are miners. saarland has a special history, a european history. it was often contested between germany and france, and the region's nationality often changed. saarland is a very catholic federal
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state, the most catholic in germany, and this characterised myfamily upbringing. i come from a big family. i grew up with five siblings in a multi—generational household, and i had a distinctively happy childhood. i did in fact have a very close relationship with my father. he was a teacher, and i was very inquisitive from a young age. i really enjoyed reading. my father always encouraged me in this regard, and also had a huge interest in politics, which is why we spoke a lot about politics at home. my mother influenced me too — the way she managed our home, but also the fact that she always told me that she wanted to learn a trade but that at the time that they started a family this was impossible. akk became involved in local politics as a teenager, gradually rising through the ranks to become president of the saarland
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region in 2011. last year, angela merkel asked her to put regional politics to one side and to move to berlin, where she backed kramp—karrenbauer to become secretary general of the cdu. only eight months later, with the party struggling in opinion polls, angela merkel decided to step down as party chief, triggering a leadership contest that was won by akk. and the reason angela merkel was in trouble was because of the political fallout from the migration crisis of 2015. chancellor merkel and out over 1 million refugees to come to germany, hugely boosting the fortunes of the far right afd party. translation: i believe that on the one hand one must accept the afd as a normal political opponent. one must confront them on the actual issues. and one must give back a voice
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to those persons who feel disillusioned by the established parties, by offering sensible and responsible political answers. what we cannot do is to engage with the language and position of the right—wing populists. because effectively, they say, we don't want anyone to come to germany, we don't want anyone fleeing from a conflict, being persecuted in another part of the world, we don't want any muslims to find a home here in germany. that is not the position of the cdu, and that is why we say these people have a right to be here. we want to take them in. but when problems occur, we will take care of them. you did have a case here in germany that has really scarred the public memory. on new year's eve, 2015, to that year where so many people came, there were all sorts of sexual assaults, mainly around the cologne area, on women, and it was later linked essentially, not completely,
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essentially to migrants, mainly of north african origin. at the time, politicians stayed quiet about that fact. the main press stayed quiet and the police stayed quiet, and that has been very, very damaging in that trust issue between people and politicians when it comes to migration. translation: that is absolutely correct. this incident on new year's eve in cologne changed a lot in the political and public climate in germany. during that night, a lot of trust in the work of the police was lost. but also, through the communication afterwards, trust was lost in the willingness and ability of politicians to take seriously the needs and worries of the victims. to call them out openly and to solve them. we have learned from this incident
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on new year's eve in cologne, and also from other incidents. we communicate more openly about these incidents. on the other hand, it is apparent that from the right—wing populists there are efforts to paint an exaggerated picture where all migrants that have come here, even those that have been here for a long time, are made responsible for those crimes. you said very clearly that you don't think the politicians of the centre should steal the slogans of the far rightjust to get more voter support, basically. but you have chosen some very different words to angela merkel, now, when it comes to migration. you have talked about the closing of borders, you have talked about 2015 as an exceptional situation. that intimates that you would do things differently now. translation: it was an exceptional
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situation because we realised too late how many people were actually coming. it was an exceptional situation because the cooperation between european states was not working. and when we ask today, considering what we've learned of the last few years, how would you in such a situation, nobody would say that we would act in the same way. we would look at the numbers more carefully. we would start speaking to the neighbouring states much earlier. we now have angela merkel‘s negotiations with other european states, where the closing of borders as possible, when it is communicated and discussed with the neighbouring states. so in this regard we would now have a different situation and could react differently. so, as we are discussing, you are being very careful to say as angela merkel did and that you agree with her. what you don't agree with is when the media nicknames you "mini—merkel", because you are staying
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at the centre of your party, a party that's traditionally very conservative, because you are a woman. but you say you are not mini—merkel, so how are you different? translation: first of all, i was very annoyed by the fact that an adult woman, 56 years of age, with three grown children and a career gets called mini. nobody would call a man in my situation mini. that was the first point that annoyed me. and the second point, i have a different biography than angela merkel. i come from a different situation, concerning the cdu, from a west german cdu, a different tradition. and all of these things give me a different character, my own profile and my own way of dealing with issues, even if i share many views with angela merkel. this makes me a different person, a different politician and not simply a replica of angela merkel.
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one area where akk certainly isn't a mini—merkel is the extent to which she throws herself into germany's annual carnival celebrations. whole swathes of the country take to the streets in fancy dress and annegret takes on the character of gretel, a grumpy cleaner. this year she made a carnivaljoke about tra nsgender toilets, for which she faced a barrage of criticism. if the cdu party wants to attract younger and more metropolitan voters, is akk striking the wrong tone when it comes to social issues like gay marriage, transgender rights and abortion? translation: the situation in the cdu is such that when it comes to these situations we have a broad spectrum of opinions, ranging from the very conservative to very liberal positions. within the cdu we have had these discussions and the decisions have been made. gay marriage is recognised. the law was passed in the bundestag,
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and the logical consequence is the possibility to adopt. in this vein, the same goes for me as cdu party leader, that this is the basis from which we make political decisions. my position is primarily a personal position of mine. i don't think that it is shared by the majority of the population. i'm not even sure it is shared by a majority within my own party. but this also has to do with personal credibility. i believe it is important to stand by one's convictions, even when one realises that they may not be shared by a majority. you talked about your personal religious convictions there. let us go to your european convictions. at the moment we are looking at brexit, the eu losing one of its biggest, richest, most influential members. there are criticisms levelled at angela merkel that she has
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entered this debate far too late, because she was preoccupied with domestic politics. should you have got involved earlier? translation: i very much regret the decision that was expressed through the referendum in the uk. to this day, i wish that the uk would correct its decision and stay in the eu. but it is also a fact that this decision was made by the people. it must be implemented now, international sovereignty. it is not our responsibility, especially as european politicians, to influence this decision in one or the other direction. the uk leaving, doesn't that leave germany quite naked inside the european union? the uk was quite useful. germany is supposed to be the motor of the eu alongside france, but disagrees with france over things like protectionism,
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or germany's more competitive mode when it comes to the single market, and has been quite happy to, you could say, hide behind the uk. does the uk leaving mean there will be more tension with france? translation: i think there will be even more expectation on germany after brexit. it is true that germany and the uk were closer when it came, for example, to competition rules than germany and france. on the other hand, the franco—german axis has never been free of tension. the eu dynamic comes from us forging a common position from a different standpoints. the main challenge of brexit internally for the eu is that the number of bigger member states reduces further, which means the responsibility on germany becomes even bigger. akk wants to become germany's
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next prime minister, but angela merkel is not going anywhere in a hurry. so her first big test at the ballot box comes next month with elections to the european parliament. there's a lot at stake here for her. she has promised to turn her pa rty‘s fortunes around. her political credibility is riding on it. the passionate but pragmatic vision for europe contrasts starkly with the appeal for a european renaissance launched by french president emmanuel macron. translation: my vision for europe is a europe which is strong, which cooperates in the four columns, which can influence the rules of our global world order. which can enforce its values. because i believe that our values are worth fighting for. but i want to clear up this misunderstanding. we had a very interesting survey in germany where people were asked if they want "more europe," and they said yes.
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and then they were asked what "more europe" means to them. and "more europe," for many people here in germany, doesn't mean the creation of new european institutions, the transfer of responsibility to brussels. but many people understand it as the better cooperation of the individual states in europe. and i think we need to be united in our goal to tackle climate change together. to encourage innovation together. to pursue a common security policy. and i believe that in order to do this, we need a good cooperation between nation—states as well as common institutions. that might distinguish my method from that of france, or from emmanuel macron. but we agree on the goals. and i say if we reach the best goal at the end of the debate to find a common path, then my vision of europe is fulfilled. for then, we have a europe which does not seclude itself, but a europe which says "made in europe" is more
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than good industrial product. "made in europe" is human rights, individualfreedom, equality, democracy and a constitutional state. and that's what we want to enforce everywhere in the world. there are those who say that the existence of the european union is in danger now. you've got brexit, and although countries are not lining up to leave behind the uk, there is a strong force of nationalist, populist, euroskeptic parties here in germany, with the afd, we see it in italy, in denmark, pretty much across the european union. those parties are predicted to do very well in those european parliamentary elections now, at the end of may. does that make you worry about the future in europe? translation: it worries me because we're in a situation where we can observe that influence of different countries in the world are shifting.
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china is growing stronger, not only economically but also politically. the politics of the united states are changing. and if europe wants to play a future role in this global world order, it must stay united and strong. especially on those issues which are important. so for example, to complete the schengen area through a functioning border protection, a common security and defence policy, but also completing the single market, especially in those areas where we lack innovation. and to clearly state this in this campaign is very important. the german economy is heading downwards, something germany is not used to. we know that having more women in the workforce tends to be good for the economy.
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you have pointed out that germany is pretty backwards in those terms. if you look at differences in salaries between men and women, germany performs far worse than the european average. quite poor representation in the tops of companies, in the german parliament. if you were german chancellor, what would you do to change that? shouldn't it be changed already? it is quite a surprise for a leading country like germany. it is a fact that we have too few women in leading positions and businesses. the only body where we currently have a 50—50 lineup is the german government. we are leading by a good example, but we are counting on businesses' own responsibility. it's clear to us that if businesses do not recognise the importance of the advancement of women in their own interest, then we might have to face the possibility of changing laws again. if you were to become chancellor, looking forward into germany, isn't it about changing a lot of common attitudes in germany?
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we've talked about attitudes towards migration, we've talked about women. what about when it comes to balancing the books in germany? that much in your own country in order to show that, as you say in german, you are in the black, not in the red. this is an obsession that goes back to the 1930s. isn't it time to move on and to say, let us invest in our own country, because it's notjust good for germany, it's good for the rest of the eu, because those countries in the south say that german obsession with its own economy and keeping the money in the bank is harming the union as a whole. yes, that is a popular argument, that our very conservative budget policy and no new debt leads to fewer investment. but the truth is we have invested
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a lot in recent years, we have made available a lot of money, the economy has grown, and it shows that responsible budget policy and investing into the future are not mutually exclusive. i am from a federal state which has a very difficult budget position, and there is nothing that hampers growth and investment more than debt. it's not a question of a lack of money. the main problem at the moment is that the system is too complicated. we have budgets in our ministries where the budget has not been used because the process of getting permission grants, the planning, has not been done swiftly enough. that is our main problem, not financing. with your vision for germany that you have shared with us today, and your vision for the european union, is it enough to persuade german voters, do you think? if you look at recent polls, angela merkel is still outperforming you in popularity terms. your popularity has actually gone down since you were voted head
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of the cdu party at the end of 2018. obviously it is difficult because you're not actually in a position of power at the moment in government. can you pull it off? first of all, we, as the cdu, have always said that according to our tradition, government leadership and party leadership always go hand—in—hand. because there are advantages to this. angela merkel decided, in an exceptional situation, to separate these two positions. this put us in a new position as cdu. we clearly said that we stand by this decision, and we stand by angela merkel to remain chancellor until 2021. you wouldn't be tempted to try to get in there? no, because we carry our responsibility here. this is notjust a question for germany, but a question to the stability
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of europe as a whole after the european parliamentary elections. for this reason, we wanted a vision of labour, which we have at the moment. on the one side, having a chancellor at the top of government, to govern well, but also to prepare the cdu as the governing party for the next election. to drive it forward, programmatically. to ensure a broad and renewed spectrum of people within the party. to improve the party organisationally. that is myjob, that is a job in which one enters into many political discussions, where one's political profile is sharpened. you face opponents at the cost of one's popularity. this is perfectly normal and that is precisely why the party members elected me. in order to take on this job for the party. i have a good division of labour with angela merkel, which i would like to continue. angela merkel has been there as german chancellor now for a long time. she doesn't like rivals, we all know that, even though
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she asked you to come here to berlin, you are seen as the chancellor in waiting. isn't that a bit uncomfortable, when you are with her, or in relations between the two of you? we both have a very relaxed relationship. i think we both actually deal with it very comfortably. it is more the journalists who wonder about how we work together than us. it is a new situation for the cdu, which is why one has to get used to it first. it requires a great deal of co—ordination and cooperation, which has worked well so far. but it needs to be worked on every single day. and of course, we need to consider the way in which the situation in germany might change over the next few months. what will be the result of the european elections? what might potentially change with regards to our financial situation? what could change when it comes to the issue of competitiveness? so it may well be that we will be faced with different questions
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than the ones we are working on at the moment. annegret kramp—karrenbauer, thank you for taking the time to talk to us. bitte schoen. another chilly one today. we have all felt the cold this weekend, even with a bit of sunshine, it hasn't felt too great. temperatures, for example, on the north sea coast today only around six or seven degrees. tomorrow will be a little bit milder. we will certainly notice that across southern areas of the uk. and then gradually through the week, it will be warming up. at the moment, quite a lot of cloud across western parts of the uk. this is thanks to a big low pressure out in the north atlantic that is sending a weather front in our direction. but it is not making much progress
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because this high pressure here is stopping it. in fact, this high pressure has been responsible for sending the colder weather in our direction. sunnier skies. you can see the cold air circling this area of high pressure and as it approaches our shores here, bringing the chilly conditions that we've had all weekend. so temperatures by the end of the afternoon, early evening in the south, just around ten degrees. single figures elsewhere. tonight, clear skies, so once again there will be a frost around, whereas in the west, we have more southerly winds here and a weather front close by, so it won't be quite so chilly. belfast around 6 degrees, 7 in plymouth, but for sure, in central areas of the uk, temperatures outside of town will be around freezing or below. so, tomorrow, pretty much the same, so most of the cloud will be in the west of the country closer to the weather front and the low pressure here actually coming in as well. so maybe some rain for cornwall, western fringes of wales, possibly one or two spots in northern ireland. also a couple of showers there in eastern scotland. but the central swathe of the uk all the way down to the south coast will be fine.
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1a degrees already in london, and then really through the week ahead, we say goodbye to the colder weather. you can see the colder airand the warmer currents of air will win. and that warm air will be arriving from the south and then eventually the south—east, so the continent will be warming up as well. tuesday, we do have quite a bit of cloud across the country and also you will notice some blue, one or two spots of rain, but the winds by then will have switched directions, so that means 15 in london, double figures there in central scotland as well. by wednesday, it really is all change, so sunshine throughout much of the country, just a few clouds here and there. those temperatures starting to rise dramatically from wednesday. in fact, by wednesday, i suspect those temperatures will be hitting around 18 degrees in london and the mid—teens in central scotland. bye— bye.
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