Thuringian head of the protection of the constitution compares Maaßen with AfD man Höcke

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CDU candidate Hans-Georg Maaßen

Photo: JENS SCHLUETER / AFP

What is the truth of the anti-Semitism allegations against Hans-Georg Maaßen?

The President of the Thuringian State Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Stephan Kramer, gives a sharp verdict on the CDU candidate for the Bundestag.

According to Kramer, Maassen used "classic anti-Semitic stereotypes" and used "ambiguous terms".

He said that to the "Tagesspiegel" on Friday.

Such statements are known from Thuringian AfD boss Björn Höcke or AfD parliamentary group leader Alexander Gauland and "a popular method of the New Right," said Kramer.

He would have wished that "the anti-Semitism officers in particular would have taken on the assessment."

Kramer had previously accused Maaßen of spreading anti-Semitic stereotypes in the ARD political magazine “Kontraste”.

“For me, these are classic anti-Semitic stereotypes that are used by Mr. Maaßen when you add the sum of all things together, also on the various social platforms, but also in your own speeches.

There is actually nothing more relieving to notice, «says Kramer.

According to Kramer, Maaßen used his statements to attract votes.

Kramer, General Secretary of the Central Council of Jews in Germany from 2004 to 2014, bases his judgment on an analysis of Maassen's publications - and how the former federal official uses certain terms.

Conspiracy ideological concept of the "new world order"

In an essay with the title »Rise and Fall of Postnationalism«, published in the magazine »Cato«, he uses terms like »globalists« and »new world order«, which are right-wing extremist codes.

It is about the idea of ​​a totalitarian global government by an international elite.

This story coincides with the content of a well-known anti-Semitic inflammatory pamphlet.

Maaßen strikes back

"The accusation that I would use classic anti-Semitic stereotypes is nonsense," countered Maaßen to the "Tagesspiegel".

"And the bad thing is that Mr. Kramer knows that." He expressly condemns "that the SPD is abusing the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution under Mr. Kramer, who until recently was a candidate for the SPD in the Bundestag, for party political purposes," said Maaßen.

Maaßen does not believe that Kramer's accusations will harm him in the election campaign.

The debate as to whether Maassen spread anti-Semitic stereotypes has been going on for several weeks.

Among other things, the climate activist Luisa Neubauer had accused Maaßen of spreading anti-Semitism and called on the CDU chairman Armin Laschet to act.

The latter rejected the allegations and emphasized that if Maassen should spread anti-Semitic texts, that would be a reason to be excluded from the party.

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