AfD politician Anne Cyron had discussed an allegedly threatened coup in a chat group, the public prosecutor is examining the content. Her group leader meanwhile stood behind her: “We have freedom of expression in this country.”
Because of her statements in an internal AfD chat with sometimes radical content, the member of the state parliament Anne Cyron still does not have to reckon with consequences in her own ranks. In the chat “no illegal or criminal statements were made,” said AfD parliamentary group leader Ulrich Singer on Tuesday. Last week it became known that participants in the “Alternative News Group Bavaria” had discussed, among other things, violent protests and coups. Cyron wrote, “Think that without civil war we won’t get out of this number.” The Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office is examining the content of the chat group, parliamentary group leader Singer sees no need for action. He says, “We have freedom of expression in this country.”
Previously, Cyron had made a statement himself and presented himself as a victim of a campaign. “They wanted to damage me and my party,” she said. In the chat, she called “neither to overthrow nor to violence”, but expressed her concern that it could lead to an overthrow. In the chat contribution that the SZ has received, however, it sounds as if Cyron is on the side of those who were planning an overthrow. One becomes “police and military against US position “, she wrote. Cyron forbade questions about her explanation – and abruptly left the press conference.
All other parties in the state parliament are calling for consequences
Ulrich Singer has been leading the parliamentary group since the end of September. Together with Christian Klingen, he succeeded in replacing the previous dual leadership of Katrin Ebner-Steiner and Ingo Hahn. After the election, the new leadership duo struck a comparatively moderate tone and presented themselves as moderate by AfD standards. Instead of distancing himself from the chat content, he rejects any criticism.
Outside of the company’s own ranks, however, there are consequences. Last week, the CSU, Free Voters, Greens, SPD and FDP called for Cyrons to be excluded from the education committee and almost unanimously submitted a motion to dismiss committee chairman Markus Bayerbach (AfD). He had denied being a member of the chat, which apparently is not true.