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Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth understands the disinvitation of AfD politicians by the Berlinale management.
© Sebastian Gollnow/dpa/archive image
Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth understands the disinvitation of AfD politicians by the Berlinale management.
“It is up to the Berlinale management to finally decide who to invite to the opening and who not and we respect this decision,” a spokesman for the Green Party politician told the dpa in Berlin on Thursday.
Berlin - “The reports on the secret meeting in Potsdam recently made it very clear how the AfD is thinking about disenfranchising and deporting a large part of the citizens in this country,” said the spokesman.
“It is understandable that filmmakers from Germany, Europe and the world are committed to ensuring that racists and enemies of democracy should have no place at the Berlinale.”
From Roth's point of view, however, this debate should primarily take place in the socio-political debate.
From their point of view, this could also happen at a Berlinale opening.
From Roth's point of view, filmmakers should “now, especially in the coming weeks and months, work to defend our diverse, open democracy based on fundamental and human rights.”
The festival leadership had previously announced on Thursday that it would withdraw the controversial invitations for AfD politicians to the Berlinale opening.
Especially in view of the revelations of anti-democratic positions in recent weeks, it is important to take an unambiguous stand for an open democracy, said the Berlinale leadership.
dpa