Sunday 4th July 2021
Outrage after criticism of NDR
“Maaßen does not belong in the Bundestag”
The fact that Thuringia’s CDU Bundestag candidate Maaßen calls for an attitude test for “Tagesschau” journalists has met with fierce criticism. The SPD calls his statements “shabby and dangerous” and expects a reaction from CDU leader Laschet. Die Linke denies Maassen any suitability for the Bundestag.
The Thuringian CDU candidate for the Bundestag and former constitutional protection chief Hans-Georg Maaßen has caused violent reactions with allegations against public broadcasting. The German Association of Journalists demanded an “urgent apology” via Twitter over the weekend. The vice-chairman of the SPD parliamentary group, Katja Mast, suggested that Maaßen agree to the AfD’s tenor. This is “shabby and dangerous”. The former left-wing chairman Bernd Riexinger said that Maassen does not belong in the Bundestag.
Maaßen had accused the public broadcaster in an interview with the television broadcaster TV Berlin published on Thursday of “manipulating opinions”, for example about omitting facts and using “tricks”. “I think it is a shame that the supervisory authorities do not really correct this public service broadcasting system in this regard and ensure that something like this no longer takes place,” said Maaßen.
He brought an “NDR committee of inquiry” into discussion. The North German Broadcasting Corporation (NDR) is responsible for the “Tagesschau”, said the CDU politician. “If you see that there are also connections between the ‘Tagesschau’ or between people who work for the public service broadcaster and the ‘Tagesschau’ and the left-wing and extreme left-wing scene – then that would be really worth investigating The biography of some editors is also put to the test to see whether these people have the character trait (…) to accompany the ‘Tagesschau’ through the editors. ” Maaßen was not more specific on this point.
Maaßen is running for the Bundestag in the election on September 26th in a constituency in southern Thuringia, which also includes the city of Suhl. He is controversial because of his stance on the federal government’s refugee policy. Politicians from the SPD, the Greens and the Left have repeatedly accused the CDU of fishing with measures on the right edge. SPD general secretary Lars Klingbeil linked a critical tweet with the TV Berlin video on Twitter and wrote with a view to the CDU boss and candidate for chancellor: “And Armin Laschet is silent.”
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