The North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister Armin Laschet (CDU) is now calling for a special session of the Bundestag to launch the planned reconstruction fund for the victims of the flood disaster in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia. “The Bundestag must come together quickly to pass the reconstruction law now,” said Laschet Picture on sunday. Most recently, his Rhineland-Palatinate counterpart Malu Dreyer (SPD) called for such a special meeting during the summer break. “We need a clear signal from the highest German parliament that this national feat of strength will be tackled together,” said Dreyer.
Laschet had previously targeted the regular Bundestag session on September 7th for the vote. On Tuesday, the prime ministers discussed the consequences of the flood disaster with Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU). According to Dreyer and Laschet’s plans, the Prime Minister’s Conference is to pass a resolution on a reconstruction fund by federal law.
Laschet announces a special envoy
Laschet said last Tuesday that only federal law can reliably ensure that everyone gets their money. “A clear signal must come from the Prime Minister’s Conference on Tuesday: a comprehensive reconstruction for the flood areas – immediately, in solidarity and safe for the next few years,” said Laschet. The damage in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia would be in the double-digit billions. “We cannot make amends for death and suffering, but after the reconstruction, no town, no village, no family should be in a worse position than before. There is no upper limit for this,” emphasized the Union Chancellor candidate. For this “national task” “not only the billions from the federal and state governments, but also construction companies and craftsmen from all over Germany who work for several months in the disaster area” are needed.
Laschet also announced the appointment of a special representative for flood relief for North Rhine-Westphalia. This should help people with the reconstruction as well as collect problems on site and report them to the ministries, “so that our aid is quick, accurate and appropriate”.
With a newly founded organization, Rhineland-Palatinate wants to promote reconstruction in the areas affected by the flood disaster. Cross-departmental experts will work together there, as the state government announced. An entire region was traumatized by an unprecedented disaster, said Prime Minister Dreyer in Ahrweiler. The extent of the need is huge. Around 64,500 people – 42,000 in the Ahrweiler district alone – were affected, and more than 140 people died. “The people deserve to get their homeland back.”
In Rhineland-Palatinate, the CDU is now calling for an investigative committee
According to information from party circles, the CDU parliamentary group in the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament wants to request the establishment of a committee of inquiry into the flood disaster. The AfD and Free Voters had previously called for such a committee. CDU parliamentary group chairman Christian Baldauf had turned against a committee of inquiry in July and instead proposed that the disaster should be dealt with in a commission of inquiry.
On Friday, the Koblenz public prosecutor began investigations against the district administrator of the Ahrweiler district, Jürgen Pföhler (CDU), and another member of the crisis team. It is about the initial suspicion of negligent homicide and negligent bodily harm through failure. The main question to be answered is whether previous warnings or evacuations could have saved human lives.