Armin Laschet meets with NRW newspaper publishers Chancellor candidate expresses his support for Bonn
Siebengebirge · NRW State Premier and chancellor candidate Armin Laschet was a guest at the annual meeting of editors-in-chief, publishers and managing directors of daily newspapers in North Rhine-Westphalia. The meeting took place on Friday evening at the Petersberg.
NRW State Premier and CDU candidate for chancellor Armin Laschet made a strong commitment to Bonn as the second seat of government and as a UN location on Friday evening at the Petersberg. "I think it is not enough if German (federal) politics only takes place in Berlin," Laschet emphasized at an event for representatives of the media. With that, Laschet made a very far-reaching promise to Bonn that it would continue to play a role in federal government in the future (alongside Berlin). "I believe that both locations can continue to work together in a well-networked fashion," Laschet continued.
The pandemic phase - marked by the expansion of digital working methods and video and telephone conferences, had proven that many of the business trips between Bonn and Berlin were no longer necessary. With this, the prime minister addressed criticism of the costs of dividing government tasks (between Berlin and Bonn) and of climate-damaging air travel between the two locations.
According to Laschet, there were up to 30,000 jobs in Bonn that depended on the government ministries. Why, he wondered, should thousands of families relocate and crowd into an already totally oversaturated Berlin housing market. That would be very expensive and the capital would surely be overburdened with it. He was responding to repeated calls, most recently from Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble, for the government to move completely to Berlin.
Laschet believes the role of Bonn should be more highly valued. The CDU's top candidate and State Premier sees the city as a place of vibrant federalism. "That's why the next Conference of State Premiers will be held on October 22 at the Petersberg," he announced. He said it had its advantages to meet in a quiet place away from the framework of Berlin. The conference is only four weeks after the election for German chancellor so it remained unclear as to what his role would be during the conference.
Bonn also deserves to be valued as an international city, Laschet emphasized. He will work to ensure that more major conferences are held in Bonn, where the UN is located.
On Friday, Laschet was a guest at the annual meeting of editors-in-chief, publishers and managing directors of daily newspapers on NRW. The invitation was extended by the Digital Publishers and Newspaper Publishers Association of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Orig. text: Axel Vogel, Helge Matthiesen
Translation: ck
