BNon-president Frank-Walter Steinmeier Express condolences to the people affected by the flood disaster. “We mourn those who have lost friends, acquaintances or family members. Your fate breaks our hearts,” Steinmeier said on Saturday afternoon when he visited Erftstadt, a particularly affected town west of Cologne. There he talked with the Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Amin Raschelt (CDU), and the affected people and emergency services. German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) Is expected to be held on Sunday in the severely damaged region of Rhineland-Palatinate.
Laschet’s actions in Erftstadt on Saturday angered the Social Democratic Party. The criticism was related to a video circulated on social media in which Raschelt laughed with onlookers in the background, and an apparently affected federal president promised to help those affected. The two had previously photographed the scene together.
Kühnert: Personality issues
“I’m really speechless,” Lars Klimbel, general secretary of the Social Democratic Party, wrote on Twitter in the afternoon, linking to the video. SPD Deputy Director Kevin Kühnert wrote on Twitter: “Character Issues”. Criticism also comes from the Liberal Democratic Party. Group Vice President Michael Theurer said to “Bild am Sonntag”: “The Rhine people are cheerful, but the Federal President of the victims is considering making jokes without wearing a mask. The seriousness of the situation is not fair.
Lashette, who is applying for the position of prime minister for the union, responded to the criticism on Twitter. He thanked the Federal President for his visit and added: “The fate of the affected people is closely related to us, and we have heard of it in many conversations. I regret the impression made through the conversation. This is inappropriate, and I am sorry. “
On Saturday, the Federal President called for solidarity and donations to the victims of Elfstadt. “Many people in these areas have nothing but hope. We must not let down that hope,” Steinmeier said.
He “on behalf of all Germans” thanked the employees of the emergency services and the municipalities that assumed command. Many people will be “exhausted”. The calls for help from all over the region are “big and urgent.” But the huge losses must be borne by those who “lost their loved ones in the flood,” Steinmeier said.
The Federal President said: “The water is receding, but in the next few days, you may see the damage that still exists.” He warned: People believe that even if this topic no longer dominates the headlines, unity will continue.
Raschelt Pledge that North Rhine-Westphalia will “do everything possible” to organize non-bureaucratic direct assistance for the affected people. After that, structural help must be given to rebuild everything. Raschelt said he is very happy that the federal government and other countries have pledged support. Helping the disaster-stricken areas is a “national mission.” State and city governments cannot do this alone.
A silver lining in chaos
Although devastating floods are slowly receding from many flood zones in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, the number of casualties is still being sought in the rubble. By noon on Saturday, the death toll had risen to more than 130. According to the police, more than 90 people were killed in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Ahrweiler alone. People are worried that more will be added because some crashed cars and complete cellars have not yet been inspected. According to the police, hundreds of people were injured.
