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Stephan Richter on the Future of Security in Germany

Stephan Richter, editor-in-chief of the Globalist, talked with David Brancaccio, host of NPR’s Marketplace Morning Report, about the aftermath of the Berlin Christmas market attack.

December 24, 2016

Stephan Richter, editor-in-chief of the Globalist, talked with David Brancaccio, host of NPR's Marketplace Morning Report, about the aftermath of the Berlin Christmas market attack.

DB: Will protection for public places be increased?

SR: Slowly, but surely. But it is hard to believe, you know, that the key interior senator for the state of Berlin said, “Oh we can’t do CCTV. It won’t prevent any of these attacks,” not understanding that it might make it much easier to find the people who perpetrated.

DB: Authorities are investigating an apparent connection between the attack and a Tunisian man, who apparently was not granted asylum in Germany. Could this mean a further crackdown of refugees in the country?

SR: It depends on what you mean by “crackdown.” If you mean by crackdown, to deport people who are known to be fraudulent cases and once you finger them, that you actually arrest them, keep them, lock them up and then send them out — that does not mean that you crack down on immigrants or the refugees, per se. That’s something very different. And I think the politicians have to do the smart thing and can’t have creeps like those who likely perpetrated this, play the system and the system letting itself be played, which seems to be the possibility in this case.

Audio | Marketplace web page