The new German coalition will ramp up defense spending and vows to get in contol of migration. DW asked CDU foreign policy expert Johann Wadephul about the future government's plans and the issues it intends to focus on.
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00:00And with me is Johann Wadervuhl, a foreign policy expert of the conservative CDU CSU
00:04and one of the key advisers on foreign policy for the Chancellor in waiting, Friedrich Merz.
00:10Mr. Wadervuhl, what is the message from this coalition agreement internationally?
00:15Internationally it's the message that Germany is back and Germany is in a position to be able to lead here in Europe
00:21and to strengthen our alliances, which is first of all the European Union and secondly NATO
00:28and to be in a strong position once again with the opportunity to finance what is needed to defend our country and the alliance
00:40and also to be an active, to play an active role on the European level.
00:45I just want to briefly talk about migration first because Friedrich Merz made a key point of that.
00:50It will be tougher to become a German citizen again.
00:53It will take at least five years from at least three years right now.
00:57At the same time there will be rejections at the German border, but at the same time fast track for migrants
01:05who are skilled workers needed here in Germany.
01:07How is that going to work out and how tough was that to negotiate with the Social Democrats?
01:13We of course need a new approach to the migration problem here in Germany
01:17because what we are facing is that all the migrants which are coming to Europe are ending up in Germany and that causes a lot of problems here in our country.
01:29Our infrastructure is not longer able to cover all these people and of course that was a very reason for the AFD, the right-wing party in Germany which was feeded by the frustration of the people here in Germany.
01:47And we have to stop that and we have to get control back on our migration because we need people who want to work here, who want to be active here as citizens in Germany but not only people who are looking where is a place where they can live in a very smooth way.
02:07So that's the answer we would like to give for the future and as far as I see the Social Democrats have accepted that we need a harder policy,
02:21that we have to be stricter at our borders and that we have to be engaged on the European level
02:27so that Europe as a whole, the EU, is able to manage the migration problem in a more better way than before.
02:37There were also a lot of questions on the fundamental right to asylum potentially being questioned, particularly by the Conservatives.
02:43It sounded here like the Social Democrats got that and it's changed because they were stressing that they would remain in place.
02:49Yeah, asylum right in Germany is guaranteed by our Constitution
02:53and that of course is Germany's historical background, you cannot forget what happened in the Nazi time here in Germany.
03:02So that was the very reason for the mothers and fathers of our Constitution to write down this constitutional right for people to get asylum here in Germany
03:13and we're going to not change that by law in this coming period
03:19but we have also to get, again, control about who is coming to Germany.
03:27Not each and every person has a right to get asylum when they reach the Germany.
03:33Now let's talk about defence.
03:35Theoretically, this incoming government, if it is formed, has unlimited ability to spend on defence.
03:42How much will you use that and will a Conservative-led government deliver the tower system to Ukraine, which it keeps asking for?
03:51We will spend as much as it is needed.
03:58We have all possibilities right now by constitution to do that.
04:035% demanded by the US?
04:04If the US, it says, will reach a 5%, Germany will also do exactly the same.
04:13I expect that we will agree on the NATO level to a 3.5 joule within the next time to the end of this decade, Germany will be able to do that.
04:26And on Ukraine, it is absolutely clear that we stand firmly with Ukraine, as we did before,
04:34and we will discuss as a new government, with the Ukrainian government, what is needed on the military aid they need from us.
04:44Now, there will still be a vote within the Social-Democrat grassroots on this, but there is also already a lot of speculation which ministerial posts who will get.
04:53So am I right now speaking potentially to the next foreign minister?
04:57The foreign minister will be with the Christian Democrats after 60 years.
05:02Will it be you?
05:04That's not sure.
05:05The Chancellor will have to decide on this question as well, but I trust him fully.
05:11Johan Waderfuhr, thank you very much for coming to talk to you.