background
With a catalog of questions, Bavaria’s Prime Minister Söder asked his deputy Aiwanger for clarification on the events surrounding an anti-Semitic leaflet. How did he answer the 25 questions? An overview.
The Bavarian State Chancellery published both the questions and the answers by Hubert Aiwanger. He answers most of the 25 questions very briefly – often with just one sentence. At various points he refers to gaps in memory in view of the events that took place around 36 years ago. Many details he “can no longer remember today. In addition, the truthfulness of many allegations can no longer be determined beyond doubt. Facts can no longer be fully reconstructed”.
Aiwanger repeatedly states that he cannot answer the questions in more detail because he is not the author of the leaflet. He also repeats his previous statements on the subject in several places.
“Disgusting and inhuman”
In the preliminary remarks to his answers, Aiwanger describes the leaflet as “disgusting and inhuman. It reflects my personal attitude neither then nor now.” At the same time he explains: “I regret if I hurt feelings through my behavior in relation to the pamphlet or other allegations against me from my youth.” Elsewhere he adds: “I also made mistakes as a teenager that I regret today.” However, mistakes from youth should not “be blamed for all eternity.”
But why were the leaflets found in Aiwanger’s school bag at all? The answers to this important question do not provide any new insights. He doesn’t remember the process in detail, Aiwanger writes, referring to his brother, who believes “that I collected the leaflets to de-escalate.”
“I was not involved in the creation of the leaflet.”
According to his statement, the leaflet was created by his brother. “Probably on the typewriter at home,” as Aiwanger writes. “I was not involved in the creation of the leaflet.”
When asked whether he had distributed the leaflet, he did not deny it, but also pointed to a lack of memory of details. Aiwanger also does not provide any information in his answers as to why he was suspected and why his school bag was searched. “One or a few” leaflets were found and confiscated when “the school bag was opened in the secretariat in the presence of school staff”.
He does not deny having been appointed school director in this context, but adds with a view to previous reports: “I can’t remember a possible meeting of the disciplinary committee.”
“I was threatened with the police”
When asked why he assumed responsibility for the flyers from the school administration, Aiwanger gave a relatively detailed answer. He writes: “I don’t know whether and what kind of responsibility I took on for the leaflet. After finding the leaflet in my school bag, I was threatened with the police. As a way out, I was offered to give a presentation. Then I went under Pressure on. That probably settled the matter for the school.” According to his memory, he then “probably” gave this presentation.
In his press conference, Prime Minister Markus Söder emphasized one point in Aiwanger’s answers. He writes: “The incident was a drastic experience for me. It triggered important mental processes.” Elsewhere he says that his brother and himself were “in shock”. “The idea of a police visit to my parents’ house scared me. Even afterwards, my brother was very ashamed of the abominable content and regretted it very much.”