Over the last few decades, the principle of denying one's own identity has been wide spread in Western society, triggering the process of dismantling the entire social order, German politician and CSU member Hans-Peter Friedrich told Sputnik Germany.
"And there comes a time when we again think more and more about our identity and try to answer questions: Who are we? Where are we from? And what does the concept of the "nation" mean for us?" Friedrich stated.
Commenting on the recent call of the CSU's Alexander Dobrindt for a "new civil conservatism," Friedrich said that this idea reflects the current social mood in various regions of the world.
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"This is a trend, which not only has manifested itself in Germany, but also has left its traces all over the world — from the US to Southern Europe. I think that more and more people in a globalized world, in which, it would seem, there are no borders, again express their need for order and their own identity. That's what Alexander Dobrindt had in mind. And we as CSU could and should provide answers to these questions," the politician said.
A recent closed meeting of the CSU party was attended by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whom Friedrich admitted to having good relations with.
According to the German politician, the CSU maintains "the closest contacts with Hungary" and, in particular, with its leader.
Viktor Orban has been repeatedly criticized by German political circles for his unwillingness to accept migrants as well as his opposition to many other decisions made in Brussels and Berlin. However, Friedrich believes that the standoff between the Hungarian leader and German officials must be stopped.
"It is important for Germany to start to understand that Viktor Orban is a democratically elected prime minister of Hungary: he is facing elections, in which he seems to be likely to secure an extremely convincing victory again. That means, he enjoys the support of the Hungarian people," the German politician said.
"It is necessary to be clear that if we need Europe, then it can't be Europe, which is determined only by some elites from Brussels, Paris or Berlin — we will have to include all people here, for example Central and Eastern Europe. Therefore, a dialogue with Viktor Orban is very important," Friedrich added.
"One thing is sure: Viktor Orban was tasked with protecting the external European border, and he succeeded in it. In this respect, we should be grateful to him. In addition, he made sure that the remaining refugees in Hungary have been well treated and taken care of. Therefore, I think that we have quite a serious consensus with Viktor Orban," the politician concluded.
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Earlier this month, the CSU demanded a tougher stance on refugees, proposing to cut financial assistance to asylum seekers and introduce more thorough check-ups of migrants who claim to be underage.
"We want to cut social benefits for asylum seekers so that Germany no longer remains a magnet for refugees from all over the world," German politician and CSU member Alexander Dobrindt told Die Zeit newspaper.
According to the CSU, Germany's social benefits for migrants provided false incentives. In a recent resolution, the CSU proposed to extend the period during which asylum seekers receive only basic assistance from 15 to 36 months. The party also demanded a reduction in financial assistance for those refugees whose asylum applications were rejected.
