The German government has announced a package of tougher security and asylum measures after three people were fatally stabbed at a street festival last week. The killings sparked an intense debate over asylum laws when it emerged that the main suspect was a young Syrian man facing deportation. The announcement comes ahead of elections on Sunday in two Eastern German states, Saxony and Thuringia, where the far-right Alternative for Germany is riding high in the polls.
Let's get more on this. I'm joined by Mika Kufner, Chief Political Editor at Deuta. Thank you so much for your time. Just explain for us the political backdrop to this with these key elections this weekend. "Yes, there are two regional elections coming up in two eastern states, Saxony and Thuringia. Both of these states are pretty much the exception on the German landscape. They are a stronghold of the far-right, anti-migration Alternative for Germany party, which has been campaigning on a threat of stabbings of migrants killing innocent Germans.
That is an open question, but the real success in this was that a government led by a Social Democrat, whose party doesn't really play much of a role in these upcoming elections, demonstrated that it can act. Olaf Scholz is under pressure to demonstrate that his coalition can still deliver amidst all the infighting with the government itself struggling to even get something basic like a budget together. Micha Kufner from Deuta, thank you very much indeed for being with us.
Q: What security measures did the German government announce?
A: The German government announced a package of tougher security and asylum measures after three people were fatally stabbed at a street festival.
Q: What sparked the intense debate over asylum laws in Germany recently?
A: The intense debate over asylum laws was sparked when it emerged that the main suspect in a fatal stabbing incident was a young Syrian man facing deportation.
Q: Which two Eastern German states are having elections, and what is the political landscape there?
A: The two Eastern German states having elections are Saxony and Thuringia. They are strongholds of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, which has been campaigning on anti-migration platforms.
Q: Who is Olaf Scholz and what pressure is he under?
A: Olaf Scholz is a Social Democrat leading a government coalition. He is under pressure to demonstrate that his coalition can still deliver amidst internal infighting and struggles to pass a budget.
