In Saxony on Tuesday there was heavy criticism of Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) for his support of the open letter from artists and publicists to Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

At the CDU presidium meeting, Kretschmer said on Monday that the letter, which also opposes the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine, "does not reflect the majority of published opinions, but definitely the majority opinion of society, including mine".

The Saxon CDU state group in the Bundestag reacted with outrage on Tuesday.

"Last Thursday we clearly voted in the German Bundestag for arms deliveries to Ukraine," said regional group leader Carsten Körber.

Stephen Locke

Correspondent for Saxony and Thuringia based in Dresden.

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"We do not share the opinion of the Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer." Germany and its allies must support Ukraine, which is why Friedrich Merz's trip to Kyiv is welcomed.

The waves also ran high with Kretschmer's coalition partner SPD.

"Michael Kretschmer's rejection of the delivery of heavy weapons is completely incomprehensible," wrote SPD country chief Henning Homann on Twitter.

"Kretschmer does not speak for the coalition in Saxony." The matter is primarily a problem for Merz and Kretschmer if the latter opposes the former.

However, support for Ukraine would require attitude and responsibility.

“Politics should not be guided by short-term survey values ​​and moods,” said Homann.

The Greens, also co-governing, said they were no longer surprised by Kretschmer's statements.

Ukraine has a right to self-defense, which is also supported by the delivery of heavy weapons.

The members of the CDU parliamentary group, to whom Kretschmer explained his statement on Tuesday, were partly critical, partly understanding.

Kretschmer received approval from the AfD and the left.

According to the AfD faction, anyone who wants to end a war quickly cannot always deliver more weapons.

The parliamentary group leadership of the Left, in turn, declared that the logic of the military had to be broken.

You don't share every sentence in the letter, but share its intention.

Politicians also have the task of thinking about alternatives.

Kretschmer had condemned the war of aggression against Ukraine, but had always advocated not completely destroying relations with Russia.

Russia is a reality in Europe that needs to be dealt with even after the end of the war.