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Meeting with gun lobbyist and Trump supporter: CDU boss Merz cancels controversial event

2022-08-03T03:54:56.344Z


Meeting with gun lobbyist and Trump supporter: CDU boss Merz cancels controversial event Created: 08/03/2022 05:43 By: Felix Durach CDU leader Friedrich Merz caused a stir with his commitment to an event. © Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa After criticism, Friedrich Merz canceled his participation in a controversial event. The venue has also drawn consequences. Berlin – fuss about an event with Fried


Meeting with gun lobbyist and Trump supporter: CDU boss Merz cancels controversial event

Created: 08/03/2022 05:43

By: Felix Durach

CDU leader Friedrich Merz caused a stir with his commitment to an event.

© Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa

After criticism, Friedrich Merz canceled his participation in a controversial event.

The venue has also drawn consequences.

Berlin – fuss about an event with Friedrich Merz: The CDU leader had announced that he wanted to take part in an event organized by the conservative campaign agency “The Republic” at the end of August.

After there had been increased criticism of the other participants in the event in advance, Merz has now withdrawn his commitment.

Merz invited to event with Trump supporter and gun lobbyist

But what is actually happening in the background?

Merz was invited to an event by the conservative campaign agency "The Republic" at the end of August.

Under the title "Transatlantic Forum" there should be a meeting between the CDU leader and the US politician Lindsey Graham.

Graham is a South Carolina senator and a supporter of ex-President Donald Trump in the Republican Party.

South Carolina State Senator Lindsey Graham was scheduled to attend the event with Merz.

© Pablo Martinez Monsivais

In addition to the CDU boss and the US senator, other participants were also announced for the event.

Including the American Grover Nordquist, who is a member of the board of the National Rifle Association (NRA).

The NRA is one of the largest interest groups in the USA.

The main goal of the US gun lobby: Upholding the second amendment to the constitution, which enshrines the right to carry firearms.

Participants close to the AfD?

Green politician criticizes Merz's commitment as "politically impossible"

The participants from German-speaking countries also included the lawyer and publicist Joachim Steinhöfel, who had also represented the federal executive board of the AfD in court in the past.

Also on the guest list was the publicist Henryk M. Broder, who appeared as a speaker at an event of the AfD parliamentary group in 2019.

For Merz, however, would only be intended for a conversation with Graham.

Premises in the Baden-Württemberg State Representation in Berlin were booked for the event.

The composition of the guest list led to harsh criticism of the CDU chairman's commitment.

The Green politician Konstantin von Notz, for example, told the

editorial network Germany

: "Anyone who takes part in such events makes themselves politically impossible." Discuss participation until he has regained his political compass.”

Martina Renner, the domestic spokeswoman for the left in the Bundestag, described it as "politically bizarre" to the portal The Pioneer that such an event should take place in the Berlin state representation of Baden-Württemberg.

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CDU boss Merz cancels participation in controversial event - meeting with Graham should still take place

Probably also because of the loud criticism, the CDU boss canceled participation on Tuesday morning.

Merz still wants to hold on to the meeting with US Senator Graham.

"Friedrich Merz was, is and will remain an appointment with Lindsey Graham when he comes to Berlin at the end of August," confirms the press spokesman for the CDU leader, Armin Peter, via Twitter.

"However, he will not meet Graham as part of The Republic's event, participation has been canceled due to the changed program," said Peter, probably with a view to the guest list.

An abrupt change.

On Monday it was said from CDU circles that Merz wanted to continue participating.

The 66-year-old is currently on a foreign visit to Poland.

In addition to the CDU boss, the venue also responded to the criticism on Tuesday.

"After the organizer informed us of the other speakers of the "Transatlantic Forum" on August 31.

called, we will withdraw from the rental agreement and not allow the event to take place here," said the state representation of Baden-Württemberg on Twitter.

State representation of Baden-Württemberg sees “strong proximity to the AfD”

As a reason for the termination, the state representation referred to the political views of the announced participants.

These would have a “close proximity to the AfD”.

"The event is therefore likely to damage the reputation of the state representation," the statement continues.

The Republic did not respond to the cancellations as of Tuesday afternoon.

(fd)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-08-03

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