Söder on the AfD: “The problem cannot be solved with a ban”
The Ludwig Erhard Summit is taking place for the 12th time at Lake Tegernsee. CDU/CSU politicians were reserved about the AfD during the economic forum.
One of the creators of the "German Davos," Wolfgang Weimer, was absent. The Minister of State for Culture stepped down from his position as head of the Weimer Media Group upon assuming his post. His wife, Christiane Goetz-Weimer, took sole leadership and opened the summit with a lighthearted remark about the formation of a government and her husband: "Some people lose the best they have. I, for example." The mood among the approximately 1,000 participants became more serious when the topic of the AfD ban proceedings came up.
Bundestag President Julia Klöckner (CDU) joined the event from Berlin: "There are deliberately high hurdles in such a process so that unwelcome political opinions cannot simply be banned." Klöckner appealed to all those involved to "think about the process from the end" and to remember what it would mean "if there is no evident evidence for an AfD ban and the process is ultimately unsuccessful." "Thoughts and conviction cannot be banned away; they must be regulated away," said Klöckner.
The Bundestag presidents stated that, with regard to the AfD parliamentary group, it would "no longer interfere with the rights of freely elected members of parliament in normal parliamentary business." The parliamentary group leaders had made clear statements regarding cooperation with the AfD. This means that the ban proceedings will initially not impose any restrictions on the AfD parliamentary group in the Bundestag. Following Klöckner, Bavarian Minister President Markus Söder (CSU) took the stage at the Ludwig Erhard Summit. Somewhat surprisingly, Söder sees Merz's defeat in the first round of voting as a boost for the new government. He felt that his "hurt egos" were now over. However, he had heard that Merz celebrated that evening with beer from the Sauerland region. He did not know "whether that was a good start."
A swipe from Bavaria targeted Saskia Esken. Söder said, "There's no need to pretend we're best friends. Saskia Esken is certainly the last vestige of the traffic light coalition." Söder also expressed skepticism about the AfD ban process: "I recommend reading the report carefully first and considering the consequences." A ban is "the wrong approach," said the CSU leader. There was applause from the audience for Söder's statement: "When dealing with the AfD, one shouldn't always be afraid and complain." He was only surprised by the AfD's massive use of social media campaigns; he didn't know "where the money comes from."
Far from realityThis year's Media Freedom Prize, awarded as part of the Ludwig Erhard Summit, went to Joachim Gauck. The former German President had strong words for the dissenters in the first round of the chancellor election. Gauck said, "The dissenters are so disconnected from reality that it shocked me." He continued, "If you set out to block a government that wants to gain new trust from the very start simply by exerting force, that demonstrates a great deal of egocentrism."
Do you have feedback? Write to us! [email protected]
Berliner-zeitung
