Representatives of Ampel and Union are taking the AfD seriously. Their participation in a secret meeting of right-wing extremists in Potsdam shows the true face of the party, is the tenor of the current moment in the Bundestag.
The secret meeting of right-wing extremists in Potsdam, revealed by the research network Correctiv, in which AfD representatives also took part, continues to make waves: At a recent meeting in the Bundestag, politicians from Ampel and Union called for people to now defend democracy in Germany against right-wing extremists.
The plans debated in Potsdam for the mass expulsion of people with a migrant background from Germany clearly showed that the AfD “wants to expel millions of people from the middle of society from this country,” said SPD leader Lars Klingbeil – precisely because these people “do not belong to the ethnic correspond to the AfD’s worldview. But it is encouraging that tens of thousands are currently taking to the streets against these plans. These people are “stronger than the AfD,” Klingbeil continued.
“They call themselves patriots, but they despise our democracy”
Green party leader Britta Haßelmann also turned sharply against the AfD: “With the secret meeting in Potsdam, the barbaric plans for mass deportation are clear and obvious to everyone,” said Haßelmann. She accused the AfD MPs of thinking the same way as the participants in this meeting: “They call themselves patriots, but they despise our democracy and its diverse face,” said the Green politician. She called for democracy to be protected from its enemies everywhere, whether at work or in the supermarket.
The parliamentary director of the Union, Thorsten Frei, called for consistent action against “attacks on the foundations of the state”, but at the same time made the traffic light government partly responsible for the weakening of democratic institutions: “I think it is right, with all clarity and consistency to brand the evil activities for what they are,” said the CDU politician, referring to the Potsdam meeting. However, he went on to say that the high poll numbers for the AfD were “crucially linked to the fact that 80 percent of people do not believe that this government is pursuing policies that are good for our country.”
The AfD itself called the criticism a “defamation of our party.” Migrants “who have no right to protection” should leave the country, said their parliamentary secretary Bernd Baumann. He spoke of “millions of culturally alien asylum seekers” who would stream into Germany.
Faeser promises tough measures
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser promised in the Bundestag today that the state would take tough action against right-wing extremists and their ideology. “What we see here is not history-forgotten, but consciously pursues Nazi ideologies,” said Faeser.
The fact that AfD politicians were involved in the meeting shows “how closely this party is connected to it and approves of this ideology.” Politicians and the constitutional state must “take a tough stance” against this, demanded the Interior Minister. She also welcomed “the fact that people are taking to the streets these days to actively defend our democracy and stand up for the values of our constitution.”
Thousands on the streets across the country
Since the weekend, tens of thousands of people have demonstrated for democracy and against the AfD in various cities following the revelations about the secret meeting. Numerous demonstrations are planned nationwide in the coming days, for example in Stuttgart, Halle, Erfurt, Dortmund and Karlsruhe.
However, a rally planned for tomorrow in Hamburg cannot take place on the square in front of the town hall as planned because the AfD has scheduled a parliamentary group meeting there at short notice. This means that the Hamburg ban district law comes into effect, which prohibits meetings and demonstrations within a radius of 350 meters from the town hall, said a spokeswoman for the Hamburg citizenship.
The organizers of the rally “Hamburg stands up – together against right-wing extremism and neo-Nazi networks”, the association “Entrepreneurs without Borders”, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany and the DGB Hamburg, then moved the demonstration to the nearby Jungfernstieg. They expect around 10,000 participants. It is assumed that the AfD’s actions will only strengthen the resolve of civil society, it said in a statement. The AfD’s participation in the secret meeting shows once again that it despises democracy.”
Corrective with new revelations
Meanwhile, the media company Correctiv revealed further details about the meeting in Potsdam. According to Correctiv, Mario Müller, who was formerly active in the right-wing extremist “Identitarian Movement”, spoke there about his “fight against the left”. Müller is an employee of AfD member of the Bundestag Jan Wenzel Schmidt.
Müller confirmed to the dpa news agency that he was present at the Potsdam meeting on November 25, 2023 and there “discussed journalistic research on the topic of left-wing extremism.” However, Müller rejected several specific allegations from Correctiv’s research – for example, he rejected violence as a political means. AfD party and parliamentary group leader Tino Chrupalla still sees a need for clarification. “I will talk to Jan Wenzel Schmidt,” said Chrupalla when asked.
Several AfD politicians took part in the meeting on November 25th in a Potsdam villa, as did individual members of the CDU and the very conservative Union of Values. The former head of the right-wing extremist “Identitarian Movement” in Austria, Martin Sellner, said he spoke about “remigration” there.
When right-wing extremists use the term, they usually mean that large numbers of people of foreign origin should leave the country – even under duress. As a result, the AfD separated from party leader Weidel’s speaker Roland Hartwig, who had taken part in the meeting.
Bianca Schwarz, ARD Berlin, tagesschau, January 18, 2024 5:31 p.m