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Ricarda Lang: »More important than such gaffes«
Photo: ANNEGRET HILSE / REUTERS
Green leader Ricarda Lang has accepted the apology from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Agriculture Minister Till Backhaus (SPD) for statements about her.
In an interview with the Funke media group, she answered a corresponding question with »Yes«.
According to a report in the Schweriner Volkszeitung, Backhaus made disparaging remarks about Lang in his speech on Thursday a week ago at the North German Nutrition Summit.
In connection with the politician, he is said to have said that Dick and Doof used to be two people.
'I haven't looked into it.
Last weekend I had to negotiate a billion-dollar relief package.
That seemed more important to me than such gaffes,” Lang continued.
Backhaus apologized last Saturday for his statement, which was seen as an insult to Lang.
"In my free speech, I used formulations that could possibly be misunderstood," the minister said.
He wanted to make it clear that it was not his intention to discredit or even offend people, parties or institutions.
"If people feel hurt because of my statements, I apologize and will not repeat statements of this kind."
Lang's co-chairman, Omid Nouripour, then emphasized that the Greens also expected Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig to apologize for Backhaus.
phw/dpa