Guest article on "antifa": CDU attacks Faeser - Minister defends herself
Created: 2022-02-06 20:57
By: Andreas Schmid
Nancy Faeser is Minister of the Interior in Olaf Scholz's cabinet.
© Florian Gaertner/Imago
Because Interior Minister Faeser wrote a guest article in a controversial magazine before she took office, there was criticism from the CDU.
The traffic light defends the SPD Minister.
Berlin – Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) has been criticized for a guest article in a magazine that the Office for the Protection of the Constitution has on the agenda.
The new minister defended herself, while the CDU went on the offensive.
Nancy Faeser: Home Secretary wrote guest article for "Antifa"
Faeser published a guest article in the magazine "antifa" last year - several months before she took office as interior minister - in which she wrote about the numerous right-wing extremist threatening letters signed "NSU 2.0" that were sent out at the time, of which she herself had received two - as well as Linke boss Janine Wissler. At that time, Faeser was party and faction leader of the Hesse SPD.
Now she is in the line of fire of political opponents.
The point is not what Faeser wrote, but where.
"antifa" is the magazine of the "Association of People Persecuted by the Nazi Regime - Association of Anti-Fascists (VVN-BdA)".
In 2020, the Bavarian Office for the Protection of the Constitution described that association as the "largest left-wing extremist organization in the field of anti-fascism in Germany".
Union attacks Interior Minister Faeser: "SPD is largely blind in the left eye"
The Union therefore attacked the SPD politician harshly.
CDU interior expert Christoph de Vries spoke to the
image
of a "highly explosive process" and concluded: "The SPD is largely blind in the left eye." Alexander Throm, spokesman for domestic policy for the Union faction, said on Saturday: "The interior minister has so far refused any explanation and differentiation from an organization that is considered to be influenced by left-wing extremists.
She then has to catch up on that at the next meeting of the interior committee.”
Group Vice President Andrea Lindholz said: Faeser should "leave no doubt that the fight against any political extremism - of whatever direction - is an important concern for her." The CSU politician was probably referring to Faeser's statements when she took office.
At the time, the minister emphasized that combating right-wing extremism, the “greatest threat that our free democratic basic order currently faces”, was particularly important to her.
The AfD also attacked Faeser because of the guest contribution.
The deputy federal spokesman Stephan Brandner even called for the “immediate dismissal” of the minister.
After criticism of the guest contribution: Faeser defends himself – and receives a tailwind from traffic lights
On Sunday, Faeser defended himself against the criticism that arose over the weekend.
The allegations against her are transparent, the minister wrote on Twitter.
"I have always shown a clear edge against right-wing extremism and all enemies of open society - and will continue to do so."
Faeser received support from the traffic light coalition. FDP parliamentary group leader Konstantin Kuhle told
Welt am Sonntag
: "The text is excellent reading material for CDU and CSU domestic politicians who have underestimated the danger of right-wing extremism for years. In addition, the Union did not stop the activities of a "dangerous conspiracy ideologue at the head of the German domestic intelligence service". Kuhle, who also shared these allegations on Twitter, is alluding to the former head of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Hans-Georg Maassen.
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil tweeted: "It's good that we now have an interior minister who takes the fight against the right seriously." SPD parliamentary group leader Thomas Kutschaty spoke of a "targeted smear campaign".
The Munich Greens politician Jamila Schäfer wrote: "It's nice to finally have an interior minister who understands the principle of defensive democracy.
The Left also clearly backed Faeser.
Wissler described the allegations by the CDU and AfD as "completely absurd".
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