After Hubert Aiwanger’s renewed criticism of the Greens, the Bavarian SPD on Thursday accused the Free Voters leader of further inflaming the aggressive mood against politicians. Aiwanger had sharply attacked the Greens several times in the ARD program “Maischberger” and also linked them to extremists.
SPD parliamentary group leader Florian von Brunn spoke of Aiwanger “freaking out”. “Politicians from all democratic parties are thinking together about how violence against members of parliament, mayors and volunteers in politics can be prevented. Only Hubert Aiwanger is adding fuel to the fire and fueling the situation in an irresponsible manner,” said von Brunn. Aiwanger’s statements paved the way for radicalization and attacks.
In the past few days, several attacks on politicians during the European election campaign have caused horror across the country. In Dresden, SPD European politician Matthias Ecke was brutally attacked, and in Berlin, Berlin’s Senator for Economic Affairs Franziska Giffey (SPD) was slightly injured in an attack. Also in Dresden, the Green Party’s top candidate for the city council, Yvonne Mosler, was jostled and threatened while hanging up election posters.
In the “Maischberger” program, Aiwanger discussed with the Hessian Green Party politician Tarek Al-Wazir and repeatedly attacked the Greens, who do not need to “generate super democrats”. “When I see that I have to slow down the Greens or other extremists who are appearing massively somewhere, whether they are the Islamists, whether they are right-wing extremists or left-wing extremists, I say stop everywhere, stay in the political center, be fair to one another apart and does not use physical violence,” said Aiwanger.
Moderator Sandra Maischberger replied: “And no verbal ones, that would have been added.” In the past, Aiwanger had repeatedly criticized the Greens’ policies with sharp statements.