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Prime Minister Ramelow
Photo: KH / imago images / Karina Hessland
Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) defends himself against criticism of him and his party.
The background to this is the campaign by the group "Campact" in the 196 Bundestag constituency in southern Thuringia, where the controversial former head of the constitutional protection, Hans-Georg Maaßen, is running as a direct candidate for the CDU.
"Campact" has called on the left and the Greens to withdraw their candidates and speak out in favor of the SPD politician and former Olympic champion Frank Ullrich.
The Greens have already called for Ullrich to vote for the first time, while the trade unionist Sandro Witt wants to hold on to his candidacy for the left.
Now »Campact« has again called for emails to be sent to Ramelow and the federal chairwoman of the Left, Susanne Hennig-Wellsow, in order to persuade the party to turn around.
"Make it clear to her in a personal message what is at stake and what you expect from the party," it says in the appeal.
According to SPIEGEL information, Ramelow is now resisting it.
He answered one of the mail writers personally.
"You are asking the prime minister of a federal state to exercise his influence on a candidate in a free election so that he can withdraw his candidacy?" Writes the prime minister.
Ramelow draws parallels to the understanding of democracy in Russia.
"What do you then complain about about the current elections in Russia, that there would be no free elections there if the Putin party wins, but the state apparatus did not allow other candidates to vote in the first place," he writes.
Now "similar methods would be required of me as an official".
The head of government is constitutionally obliged to be neutral.
"I will neither breach the constitution, nor will I silently participate in this coercion and inadmissible manipulation of the federal elections, nor will I allow myself to be used as a henchman or tool." It is also known that he and Witt would stand up against right-wing extremism.
In the Bundestag election on Sunday, Maassen is predicted to have good chances of entering the Bundestag.
The candidate has made headlines with right wing statements over and over again in recent weeks.
The federal CDU has not yet clearly positioned itself to measure.
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