Armin Laschet was confronted by two activists on TV.
Both had previously been specially trained for the appearance - by a left-wing radical known to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
Lübeck - Armin Laschet answered questions from citizens on Wednesday evening (September 15) in the ARD election arena.
The Union's candidate for chancellor also got into conversation with two young women.
A 15-year-old student was about climate policy, a 22-year-old law student was about combating racism.
Both confronted Laschet with allegations - and both were trained beforehand by a left-wing radical known to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
ARD election arena: Left-wing extremists prepare activists for TV appearance
“Thanks to the training, I am now well prepared to finish it,” wrote the 15-year-old on Wednesday evening in front of the electoral arena. The aforementioned training is a talk show coaching from Emily Laquer, which the law student also completed. Laquer is classified as radical left by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and was one of the organizers of the blockades against the G20 summit in Hamburg in 2017, which were accompanied by rioting. The 34-year-old from Nuremberg is a member of the left-wing extremist organization Interventionist Left. Laquer told the student on Twitter: "Finish him."
Laquer runs the “activist agency”, through which activists, according to their own statement, are to be “empowered”.
The two women are also activists.
The student is involved in Fridays for Future in Hamburg.
The student is active at Black Lives Matter in Heidelberg.
She was connected from Addis Ababa because she is currently in Ethiopia with her parents.
Both introduced themselves accordingly, but withheld the fact that they had previously been trained by Laquer.
One could guess how the training went, especially when it came to the climate issue.
Laschet had to listen to a lot.
ARD election arena: FFF activist attacks Laschet: "Your climate policy is a disaster"
Before the activist asked a question, she settled with Laschet: “Your climate policy has actually been a disaster in recent years. It was marked by blatantly wrong decisions and scandals. ”Specifically:“ You are still blocking the expansion of renewable energies in North Rhine-Westphalia, for example through the regulation of the distance between wind turbines. They had the Hambach Forest, the activists there, evacuated - illegally. You put the Datteln IV coal-fired power station on the grid in 2020. "Although" no party has a plan to implement the Paris Climate Agreement (...), the CDU and you in particular have really failed particularly badly in recent years . "
After these allegations, the student asked about Laschet's immediate measures in the first 100 days.
There was applause from the audience at the Kulturwerft Gollan in Lübeck.
Laschet, however, did not want to leave the allegations uncommented and replied: "You have made three allegations, all three of which were false."
ARD election arena: Laschet defends climate policy - "My government saved the Hambach Forest"
With a view to Laschet's red-green predecessor government in North Rhine-Westphalia, the current Prime Minister of the most populous German state said: “They have decided that lignite should be mined by 2045. You have approved two large open-cast mines - Garzweiler and the Hambacher Forst. You have planned to clear the Hambach Forest. It had 4,100 hectares. When I took office, 3,900 had already left - through other parties that governed there. "Laschet's conclusion:" My government saved the Hambach Forest, the predecessors wanted to clear it. "
On the subject of coal-fired power plants, Laschet said: “I helped negotiate the exit.
Now we're switching off power plants bit by bit.
Now you will say that it is too slow, but at least the exit is coming.
Nobody has done that before. ”Regarding Datteln IV:“ By the way, I didn't do anything.
It's a federal law.
This power plant had a permit. ”In relation to the first 100 days of the new government, Laschet called for faster planning and approval procedures and more speed across all parties.
"It all takes too long."
ARD election arena: Black Lives Matter activist also confronts Laschet
The Black Lives Matter activist wanted to know from Laschet "how you justify the fact that the CDU repeatedly opposes changes in the anti-racist area". The student also asked for Laschet's opinion on an anti-discrimination law at the federal level. "How do you want to ensure that people affected by racism can defend themselves against discrimination in everyday life, in institutions and in our authorities?"
Laschet referred to the "very active anti-racism work" in North Rhine-Westphalia and his past as NRW's integration minister.
He will be a Federal Chancellor who "messes with anyone who preaches racism or fights others because of their origin," said Laschet.
"We have to speak in plain English and not tolerate it." He also wanted a federal government that reflected diversity.
ARD election arena: Debate about activists - deception or completely okay?
After the election arena, the appearance of the two activists was eagerly discussed on social media.
On the one hand, it was criticized that it was not evident that the two of them were trained by the left-wing extremist Emily Laquer.
The journalist Philip Plickert said about ARD:
"In your electoral arena, a 'blatant' FFF activist specially trained by leftists is invited to be let loose as a questioner on Laschet?
Emily Laqueur - according to the protection of the constitution, a left-wing radical - is enthusiastic.
The fee Michel is deceived. "
On the other hand, there is great astonishment at the criticism of the performance.
A media coaching before a TV appearance was nothing reprehensible, it was said as a counter-argument.
In addition, politicians would also receive media training.
The author Micky Biesenherz mockingly commented: "Laschet must have perceived the fact that this 15-year-old activist was trained in the media as a great inequality of opportunity."
There were also allegations that the activists had been "smuggled in".
As Fridays for Future Hamburg announced, the student applied for the show herself.
"Claims that she was sent or explicitly trained for the program are untrue." However, that she has been trained can be found on her social media channels.
The student has not yet commented on request.
Election arena: ARD compares participants with BKA - "Nobody can send us someone on the show"
There were also allegations that the activists had been "smuggled in". Compared to
Merkur.de
, however, the NDR responsible for the program contradicts this decidedly. “In 2021, NDR and WDR called on their viewers in various formats to apply for the broadcast ARD-Wahlarena with their questions. In addition, the opinion research institute infratest dimap had suggested interested participants, some of whom the editors invited to the show. ”The editors also had“ detailed discussions ”with all applicants beforehand and researched their personal backgrounds. "All participants were reported to the BKA in advance, the authority had no objections in any case."
The editors then selected people for all programs who “reflect the most diverse political currents and the diversity of our society”. NDR editor-in-chief Andreas Cichowicz also defends himself against any allegations. Treat all guests equally. "The week before, Annalena Baerbock met an employee from the East German coal industry, Olaf Scholz was asked about Cum-Ex and the Wirecard scandal and Armin Laschet answered the question of a young climate protection activist from Hamburg's Fridays-for-Future- Group. ”Cichowicz makes it clear:“ The decision to invite these people was made solely by the editors. Nobody can send someone to us on the show. ”Emily
Laquer initially did not
respond to
Merkur.de's
request.
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