"Kim or Kini": SPD man places Söder-Merz scene next to a portrait of a dictator from North Korea - and earns outrage

Created: 01/09/2022, 05:11 PM

Markus Söder and Friedrich Merz.

The two have been compared to the Kims from North Korea.

© Peter Kneffel / dpa

Markus Söder and Friedrich Merz together in a contribution with North Korea's Kim dictators.

A Twitter post from an SPD politician sparked discussions.

Munich - A Social Democrat enjoys a meeting of the two Union party leaders - or at least their result in photography form: "I love everything about it," wrote Fritz Felgentreu over the weekend.

The former SPD member of the Bundestag published a picture on Twitter of Markus Söder (CSU) and Friedrich Merz (CDU) on the one hand and Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung on the other.

It is unclear whether the montage was made by him.

Söder and Merz are compared with North Korea Kims

The two images actually look similar.

Two politicians can be seen in each of the two pictures, setting themselves in the limelight in front of a picturesque natural backdrop;

one in blue, one in brownish clothes.

CSU leader Markus Söder stands with the designated party chairman of the CDU, Friedrich Merz, on the banks of the Kirchsee, south of Munich.

The snow-capped Alps glitter in the background.

The second illustration shows a painting by North Korea's longtime dictator Kim Il-sung with his son Kim Jong-il.

With his right hand, the "eternal president" - like Söder - points into the distance of nature.

The two Korean rulers stand on Mount Paektu.

The mountain is considered sacred in North Korea.

Legend has it that Kim Jong-il was born on Mount Paektu.

Kim Jong-il is the father of Kim Jong-un.

Criticism of North Korea comparison: "just embarrassing"

The current leading Union politicians are thus compared to North Korea's controversial rulers.

The comparison caused criticism on Twitter.

The journalist Sebastian Pertsch wrote: “I think these photos are problematic.

As much as Söder and Merz may be great batches and distinguish themselves with old-fashioned 50s politics, they were nevertheless democratically elected.

They are not autocrats or dictators who could suggest confrontation. "

An FDP supporter, according to his own profile description, said: “Dear Mr. Felgentreu.

Shouldn't we better refrain from comparing German democratic politicians with dictators? ”A self-declared Social Democrat commented:“ I just find it embarrassing, dear Fritz Felgentreu.

Murderous dictator clan and our democratic competition figuratively on the same level.

We would be very upset about such derailments if they affect our team, and rightly so. "

"Kim or Kini - that is the question": Trittin takes up North Korea comparison

There was encouragement from a Green politician. Benedikt Lux, who has sat in the Berlin House of Representatives since 2006 and has a Korean mother, wrote: “As a half-Korean, of course, I think that's very good too.” Jürgen Trittin, former environment minister and federal chairman of the Greens, wrote: “Kim or Kini - this is here the question. ”Thereupon the ARD journalist Ulrich Deppendorf said:“ This comparison is unspeakable and unworthy of a politician of your caliber. ”

Fritz Felgentreu has been a member of the SPD since 1992.

In the past two legislative periods, the Kiel native sat for the Social Democrats in the German Bundestag.

Before the federal election in 2021, Felgentreu announced that he would no longer run for the direct mandate.

He was deputy state chairman of the Berlin SPD and for several years district chairman of the SPD Neukölln.