Bavaria
Aiwanger remains under pressure even after apology
Bavaria’s Deputy Prime Minister Hubert Aiwanger is faced with serious allegations. photo
© Tobias C. Koehler/dpa
In the leaflet affair, Bavaria’s Deputy Prime Minister Aiwanger tried an apology and a counterattack. But the criticism of the Free Voters boss continues.
Bavaria’s deputy prime minister remains in the affair of an anti-Semitic flyer from school days Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters) under pressure even after a public apology. The President of the Central Council of Jews, Josef Schuster, accused Aiwanger of showing no will to openly clarify the matter. The federal government’s anti-Semitism commissioner, Felix Klein, criticized that Aiwanger harmed the culture of remembrance in Germany because he did not fully clarify the allegations.
Aiwanger had already denied in writing on Saturday that he had written an anti-Semitic leaflet when he was at school, which the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” reported on in its weekend edition. At the same time, however, he admitted that “one or a few copies” were found in his school bag. Shortly thereafter, Aiwanger’s older brother admitted to having written the pamphlet.
No memory of Hitler salute
Yesterday, Aiwanger apologized publicly for the first time. With regard to the allegations, he stuck to the previous description – in particular that he did not write the leaflet and that he could not remember showing the Hitler salute as a schoolboy. At the same time, the leader of the Free Voters counterattacked, complaining about a political campaign against him and his party.
“I deeply regret if I have hurt feelings through my behavior in relation to the pamphlet in question or other allegations against me from my youth,” said Aiwanger. “My sincere apologies go first and foremost to all the victims of the Nazi regime, their surviving dependents and everyone involved and the valuable commemorative work.” There was no talk of a possible resignation.
Aiwanger told the “Welt” (Online): “In my opinion, the Shoah is being misused here for partisan purposes”. He accused the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, which was the first to report allegations against him, of wanting to destroy him politically.
Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) presented his deputy with a catalog of 25 questions on the subject for written answers in connection with the allegations. Aiwanger’s spokesman said these would now be answered “promptly”.
Thunderous applause at the rally
After Aiwanger had canceled several appointments yesterday, he appeared again in the evening at a rally in Aschau, Upper Bavaria. He no longer commented on the leaflet affair and the other allegations. In his speech, he promoted the policy of the Free Voters, criticized the Greens in particular and sometimes received thunderous applause. Today, both Aiwanger and Söder want to attend appointments in Bavaria that have been planned for a long time.
The criticism of Aiwanger does not stop. The President of the Central Council of Jews, Schuster, told the “Bild”: “Hubert Aiwanger’s apology to the victims and survivors of the Shoah was a good step, albeit a long overdue one.” But Schuster went on to say: “Unfortunately, he combines this with a complaint about a political motivation for the allegations and still lacks the will to open clarification.”
Klein: Aiwanger harms the culture of remembrance
The federal government’s anti-Semitism commissioner, Klein, told the newspapers of the Funke media group: “Efforts in schools and memorials to teach younger people in particular how to deal with National Socialist crimes critically and responsibly are being torpedoed by Mr. Aiwanger’s behavior.”
Aiwanger is harming the culture of remembrance in Germany. “A responsible approach to dealing with the legacy of the worst crime ever committed by Germans would be to proactively and fully investigate one’s own role in the creation and distribution of this anti-Jewish pamphlet.”
A new state parliament will be elected in Bavaria on October 8th. According to all the latest polls, the CSU and Free Voters can continue to govern afterwards. Söder said on Tuesday that he wanted to continue the coalition. However, coalitions were “not dependent on a single person”. The Free Voters in Bavaria rallied behind Aiwanger and complained about a “smear campaign”.