Controversy over cooperation between SPD and AfD on complaints

Earlier this month, there was great excitement over the support of CDU, SPD and FDP officials for an NPD politician in Hesse. Now there is trouble again because of a cross-party cooperation. This time it's about the AfD - and a planned cooperation with the SPD.

On the island of Rügen want the Social Democrats in the town of Sassnitz in the coming week, inter alia, together with the AfD bring seven joint applications through the city council. That reported the transmitter NDR 1 Radio MV. The SPD local politicians had therefore received with the help of AfD representatives also posts as Committee Chair.

The project goes against the clear line of leading representatives of the SPD. These have always excluded cooperation with the AfD. Norbert Benedict, SPD deputy and city president in Sassnitz, defended the move so that the AFD representatives are not attracted by right-wing slogans or incitement and instead are fact-oriented. That's what he said NDR 1 Radio MV.

"We do not accept cooperation with the AfD"

For higher SPD representatives met the decision of the comrades in Sassnitz, however, harsh criticism. "Our attitude as SPD is clear We do not accept cooperation with the AfD," said Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's SPD Secretary General Julian Barlen on Facebook.

Barlen said that the SPD faction in Sassnitz must withdraw the seven Community applications quickly. "Content as well as personnel questions must - as usual - be sought and found in close cooperation with the other groups."

Earlier this month, the election of a NPD politician to the mayor in a Hessian community nationwide attention had attracted and indignant in many places. All seven local council members from Altenstadt-Waldsiedlung had elected Deputy NPD state chairman Stefan Jagsch as mayor.

This decision also quickly triggered sharp criticism. For example, SPD General Secretary Lars Klingbeil made it clear on Twitter that the party should not cooperate with "Nazis" at any level. Jagsch should now be voted out. (An interview with an SPD representative who voted for Jagsch, read here.)

The SPD has a very clear attitude: we do not cooperate with Nazis! No way! This applies in the federal government, in the state, in the municipalities. The decision in #Oltenstadt is incredible and can not be justified with anything. It must be reversed immediately. #noNPD