Angela Merkel called the election scandal in Thuringia “unforgivable”.
17 months later there is an aftermath: The AfD has brought the statements to the Constitutional Court.
Karlsruhe / Erfurt - Thuringia is still fighting, at least indirectly, with the effects of February 5, 2020: At that time, the FDP politician Thomas Kemmerich was elected short-term Prime Minister with the votes of the CDU and AfD *.
Today the state is facing a massive government crisis - also for fear of another prank by right-wing populists *.
But the scandal continues to concern Chancellor Angela Merkel * (CDU): on Wednesday, her reaction to the events in Erfurt became an issue for the Federal Constitutional Court.
The focus was on the question of how neutrally a head of government must behave - the AfD sees itself at a disadvantage.
Merkel's statement on Thuringia is being negotiated in Karlsruhe - AfD sees an attempt to delegitimize the election
The background to the dispute: Merkel had taken a position during a visit to South Africa - at that time she spoke in a "preliminary remark" before a press conference with President Cyril Ramaphosa about an "unforgivable incident". Therefore, “the result must also be reversed”. The CDU should at least not participate in a Kemmerich government: The election of Kemmerich broke with a "basic conviction for the CDU and for me," said the Chancellor.
The statement angered the AfD * - they threatened legal action shortly after the speech.
Merkel had "tried to delegitimize a state election", while exercising her office as Federal Chancellor, affirmed AfD boss Jörg Meuthen on Tuesday before the start of the negotiations in Karlsruhe.
That happened in the course of a press conference in the direct exercise of her office.
Also that the speech in the meantime the government websites
bundeskanzlerin.de
and
bundesregierung.de
was published, the party criticized.
The AfD sees this violates its right to equal opportunities.
Angela Merkel: breach of duty of neutrality?
Braun defends Chancellor
Head of the Chancellery * Helge Braun defended Merkel's statements at the hearing on Wednesday.
Both the journalists traveling with them and the coalition partners wanted a positioning, said the CDU politician.
It was also about maintaining the international reputation of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The press conference at a state reception with the South African President was the first opportunity to do so.
Braun said that press conferences are basically literally and completely documented, and that nothing will be deleted.
Journalists would rely on that.
The legal representative of the plaintiff AfD, Christian Conrad, spoke, however, of an illegal "boycott call".
Merkel did not speak as a party politician on the subject.
“The Chancellor also wanted to speak as Chancellor,” he said.
AfD fails with a request for rejection - but neutrality lawsuits in Karlsruhe have already been successful
At the start of the negotiation on Wednesday, the constitutional judges of the Second Senate rejected a rejection request from the AfD that had been submitted almost two weeks ago.
The AfD had justified this with a visit by a delegation from the court to the Federal Chancellery with a joint dinner on June 30th.
Vice President Doris König said that if these regular meetings cast doubt on impartiality, an exchange of the highest constitutional bodies would be impossible. "In addition, it would express a distrust of the members of the Federal Constitutional Court, which contradicts the constitutional and basic legal image of the constitutional judge," said the court.
The AfD had already successfully sued Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) in Karlsruhe because an interview with AfD-critical passages was on his ministry page.
And Johanna Wanka (CDU) was reprimanded during her time as education minister for calling for the “red card” for the AfD in a ministry announcement.
According to these judgments, politicians may publicly criticize the AfD.
However, they must comply with the requirement of state neutrality when expressing their role as a member of the government.
A judgment is not expected on Wednesday - experience shows that it will be announced in a few months.
(
fn / AFP / dpa
)
