Nominated by the AfD as Federal President: CDU politician Otte in an interview

Created: 01/25/2022, 13:00

By: Georg Dickkopf

CDU politician Max Otte is to run for president.

It was set up by the AfD.

The politician in an interview.

Plettenberg/Berlin – Max Otte, born in Plettenberg in North Rhine-Westphalia, is always good for surprises.

Late on Monday evening it became known that the AfD would like to nominate Plettenberg for the post of Federal President.

Georg Dickopf from wa.de reached Max Otte for an interview just a few hours after the announcement.

Mr Otte, you always come up with surprises.

The Plettenbergers are now reading that you are to be nominated for the post of Federal President...

Max Otte:

I have the following to say about this: the candidacy for Federal President is one of the highest honors that can come your way.

The office offers the chance to heal, to reconcile, to admonish.

I consult with my family and think deeply about it.

How long do you think you think about it?

Max Otte:

In the short term.

I would say a day or two.

You have been chairman of the Union of Values ​​since May, you have been a member of the CDU for over 30 years and now the Afd is nominating you as Federal President...

Max Otte:

The office is non-partisan, it is a completely normal democratic process.

Many in the CDU also support an SPD candidate.

This is a procedure appropriate to the office.

Are you still not a member of the AFD?

Max Otte:

Of course not.

I am and will remain a CDU member, I have always said that.

The AfD nominated CDU politician Max Otte for election as Federal President.

© Karlheinz Schindler

Max Otte: AfD nominates CDU politicians for election as Federal President - "Something non-partisan"

This may seem strange to some people.

If the CDU had set you up, it might have been a little different, but they probably wouldn't do that at the moment...

Max Otte:

My deputy chairmen in the Union of Values ​​suggested me to Friedrich Merz.

We don't have our own delegates in the Federal Assembly, so the Konrad-Adenauer-Haus has to do it.

What do you actually think of Frank-Walter Steinmeier as Federal President?

Max Otte:

I can only say that during his presidency the rifts have become ever wider, and the Federal President's task is to reconcile, to heal and to bring people together.

Now the AfD is not exactly known for harmoniously filling up ditches...

Max Otte:

I won't say anything about party politics, only about the office of the Federal President.

This is bipartisan.

Your chances are still relatively small.

Max Otte:

That is an important sign of impartiality and reconciliation.

And so you would try to close the trenches in Germany?

Max Otte:

I'm a forgiving person.

I learned that from my father.

As you know, the SPD mayor Baberg, the DKP candidate Krause and the CDU top candidate Otte lived on my street in Plettenberg Ohle.

I have always learned that dialogue is the most important thing.

That's how I grew up in Plettenberg.

AfD nominates Max Otte as Federal President: call for more tolerance on the subject of Corona

What do you actually say about the Corona policy?

Max Otte:

I understand that people do not want basic rights to be restricted and that it is a voluntary decision whether to vaccinate or not.

I have a lot of understanding for that and we need more tolerance there too.

But that is also the opinion of the AfD.

Max Otte:

No, no, no.

I already expressed this opinion clearly before the AfD.

From the beginning.

The AfD had no line at all.

This is my line.

Meanwhile, Baden-Württemberg's CDU parliamentary group leader, Manuel Hagel, has threatened the head of the conservative Values ​​Union, Max Otte, with expulsion from the CDU because he was nominated by the AfD as a candidate for the office of Federal President.

"Enough is enough," Hagel told the German Press Agency on Tuesday.

And Hans-Georg Maassen (CDU) is also drawing consequences from the events surrounding Max Otte.

*wa.de and merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.