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Strack-Zimmermann in costume: "Carnivalism is not God-given"
Photo: Andreas Rentz / Getty Images
The FDP member of the Bundestag Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann stands by her biting speech against CDU leader Friedrich Merz at the award of the "Order against animal seriousness" at the Aachen Carnival Association.
"Carnivalism is not God-given," wrote Strack-Zimmermann on Twitter for a photo of the broadcast of the event, which shows Merz with a stony expression.
Strack-Zimmermann's appearance had caused outrage in the CDU because the FDP deputy leader Merz - without naming his name - had sharply made fun of it.
In it, she had described Merz as a "mid-sized aircraft dwarf".
"No one wanted to have it twice because it was difficult to bear," Strack-Zimmermann continued, alluding to Merz' previous unsuccessful candidatures for the CDU presidency.
The MP also addressed Merz's comments in the debate about riots on New Year's Eve: "If a boy's name is Ali and not Sascha, he insults him as an elementary school pasha." and labeled Russia's President Vladimir Putin a "vodka dwarf" and a war criminal.
Czaja speaks of "derailment"
CDU General Secretary Mario Czaja demanded an apology from Strack-Zimmermann in the »Rheinische Post«.
"That was another fall short of decent manners and decent language," said Czaja.
You don't behave like the chairman of the defense committee, "not even at carnival."
He expects Strack-Zimmermann to apologize to Merz “and express that it was a lapse”.
"I think it's perfectly fine if people can't laugh at my speech," wrote Strack-Zimmermann.
However, it might be worthwhile "to ask your esteemed colleague Hendrik Wüst (CDU) for a better humorous understanding," teased the FDP defense expert.
Motionless Merz, grinning libertine
According to the recordings, Wüst, who sat next to Merz during the speech, found it difficult to resist laughing at Strack-Zimmermann's words.
The SPD politician Sawsan Chebli applauded the performance.
She wrote on Twitter that Strack-Zimmermann had "dismantled" Merz.
On the other hand, the former North Rhine-Westphalian FDP parliamentary group leader Gerhard Papke expressed a lack of understanding: “The only person who really believes that Ms. Strack-Zimmermann wins sympathy and votes for the FDP with her appearances is she herself!”
The CDU member of the Bundestag Christoph de Vries criticized the carnival speech via Twitter as an "embarrassing appearance".
"The difference between witty carnival humor and clumsy personal disparagement is obviously not known to all buffoon speakers," says de Vries.
fek/AFP
