German Greens back easier citizenship

"Germany is a country of immigration, and it's time that this was acknowledged," Filiz Polat, a senior figure in the Greens' parliamentary group told dpa, reported dpa.

"We proposed in our coalition agreement to introduce a right to citizenship in line with the times, and we are now implementing this," she said.

She accused the conservative parties, which dominated German politics under former chancellor Angela Merkel between 2005 and the end of last year, of "fusty" ideas that lagged behind social reality.

Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the pro-business liberals of the FDP have agreed to ease the process by which non-Germans can become citizens.

Scholz on Saturday said Germany needed "better rules" for those wanting to acquire citizenship.

Conservative opposition parties have been sharply critical of coalition plans.

Alexander Dobrindt from the Christian Social Union (CSU) slammed the plans in remarks to the mass-circulation Bild newspaper.

"Flogging off German citizenship does not promote integration, but has the opposite aim and will exert a pull-effect on illegal migration," Dobrindt said.