Election campaign in Bavaria
“Infamous and sneaky”: Bavaria’s interior minister attacks the AfD after the Chrupalla incident
After an incident with AfD leader Tino Chrupalla in Ingolstadt, Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) accused the party of wanting to capitalize on it
© Arne Dedert / DPA
Shortly before the state elections in Bavaria, AfD leader Tino Chrupalla had to be hospitalized after an incident at a campaign event. The party speaks of an “assault incident”. Bavaria’s Interior Minister Herrmann is now accusing the AfD of capitalizing on the incident.
“Although the Ingolstadt public prosecutor’s office has currently initiated an investigation against unknown persons on suspicion of bodily harm, there is so far no evidence that Chrupalla was approached or attacked,” emphasized the Interior Minister. The AfD leader has now been released from the hospital. “The police and public prosecutor’s office are continuing to investigate at full speed,” emphasized Herrmann. “It is also important to evaluate reliable evidence.”
Police have “no information that Mr. Chrupalla was approached or attacked”
Chrupalla was taken to hospital on Wednesday afternoon during an election campaign event in Ingolstadt. The background was initially unclear. According to police, Chrupalla had to receive medical attention backstage before a speech and was then taken to the clinic. On Thursday, the police and public prosecutor’s office announced: “There is currently no evidence that Mr. Chrupalla was approached or attacked.” As on Wednesday evening, the AfD is assuming an “assault incident”, as the federal office confirmed on Thursday when asked.
Herrmann also clearly rejected allegations from state parliament top candidate Katrin Ebner-Steiner. This had previously demanded that Herrmann “ensure appropriate protection for the AfD”. “We have asked the Bavarian police at various levels to do this. However, the Interior Minister sees no need to provide greater protection for our party and the state parliament candidates.”
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Herrmann said: “Of course, AfD politicians and their events are also protected by the police in accordance with the risk assessment. Depending on whether they are federal or state politicians, the Federal Criminal Police Office or the respective state criminal offices or police headquarters are responsible for personal protective measures In the Chrupalla case, the Federal Criminal Police Office.” In any case, in the current election campaign, the AfD has “neither approached me nor the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior with a request for increased police protection.” And the fact that AfD leader Alice Weidel is currently unable to appear at events “is probably due to her stay in Mallorca. There are no apparent threats to her in or from Bavaria.”