Enlarge image
Nathanael Liminski and Armin Laschet: CDU criticizes "new style of the SPD"
Photo:
Ralph Sondermann / imago images
The CDU has asked the SPD to forego a controversial election campaign spot. The accusation: A religious creed is being misused to campaign against others. The spot shows a matryoshka doll from which one CDU politician after the other emerges. "Whoever votes for Armin Laschet and the CDU, votes ..." says a voice. To the doll with the likeness of CDU economic politician Friedrich Merz, the voice continues "... a policy that makes rich richer and poor poorer." For the doll with the face of ex-President of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Hans-Georg Maaßen, the sentence is supplemented with "... candidates who push the CDU to the right margin."
Next comes a doll with the likeness of the Düsseldorf State Chancellery and Laschet intimate Nathanael Liminski. Here the sentence is supplemented with "... arch-Catholic Laschet confidants, for whom sex before marriage is a taboo". This alludes to a statement by the avowed Catholic Liminski, which he described as a "personal decision" on the ARD program "Maischberger" in 2007. Liminski was still a student at the time. On the show he also spoke out "against any kind of artificial contraception."
CDU General Secretary Paul Ziemiak said: "We imagined the SPD's commitment to a fair election campaign to be different." Apparently it was a "new style of the SPD".
Her top candidate Olaf Scholz now has to explain "whether he wants to continue to abuse his religious affiliation, his affiliation with the Catholic faith, for a campaign in the election campaign."
The film also caused great outrage among the population.
The German Bishops' Conference was also critical.
Dealing with an expression of religious conviction was "inappropriate," said a spokeswoman for the editorial network Germany.
"We are promoting a fair election campaign, which should be carried out on the basis of factual issues and in dealing with the election programs."
In an interview with RTL West, Laschet also spoke up on Monday evening.
According to the RTL regional window, Laschet said: "I was surprised by the methods that Olaf Scholz now uses to campaign."
ime / dpa
