Former head of the secret services Hans-Georg Maassen leaves the moderate right founded his own far-right party This in itself is cause for alarm. If he is also a highly controversial figure who advocates rapprochement with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is trying to expel for his radicalism, this issue goes even deeper. larger size.. In addition, until he was removed from office in 2018, access to official secrets and other confidential documents. And finally, he said that members of his new party, the Union of Values, were also present at the meeting. neo-nazi meeting Potsdam is located Deportation of millions of foreigners or citizens of non-German origin.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, or Internal Affairs secret services, are keeping his former boss under surveillance as a radical extremist, public broadcaster ARD has revealed. The government’s Green party, which is in the coalition of social democrat Olaf Scholz with the liberals, called for action against Maassen. They remember that their responsibility for these state secrets does not end just because they left office.
Maassen headed the ministry between 2012 and 2018 under then-Chancellor Angela Merkel. He was dismissed due to his “closeness” to the far right, amid strong tensions in the ruling grand coalition. From here, the inner current called the Union of Values, which was created in the conservative bloc a few years ago, emerged exactly between the two parties. Industry against accepting refugees It was championed by Merkel following the 2015 migration crisis.
During this time, Maassen has become the most relevant and leading name in the industry. He exercised internal opposition to the line of the CDU and its sister Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) in rejecting any cooperation with the AfD. He announced this a week ago left the CDU to found his own partyIts full name is Unión de Valores.
New parties, weakening of established parties
All this is happening at a time when the German vote is fragmented. Just a few weeks ago, the split on the Left became official, led by Sahra Wagenknecht, who, despite her leftist origins, advocated similar positions to the AfD on immigration issues or the supply of arms to Ukraine.
AfD is occupying Second place in voting intentions nationally after the Conservative bloc. However, for the first time in months, it is no longer in an upward trend and has lost three points in a week. It is not yet clear whether this evolution is due to political fragmentation or to the stupor created among AfD voters, who, according to the statements emerging from the Potsdam meeting, cannot be described as radical. Since this massive “re-immigration” plan involving millions of citizens came to light, mass demonstrations against the AfD have been held throughout Germany and calls for the country to “wake up” to the aims of neo-Nazism.
Maassen always defended needs to be “opened” to dialogue We are with the AfD and we no longer ignore giving it political support. He also espouses conspiracy theories about a supposed decline in the white population suppressed by the arrival of immigrants. Their positions are not far from those advocated by the most radical wing of the AfD, whose leader in Thuringia is Björn Höcke. Next September, Höcke could emerge victorious in the regional elections in his home state. In addition to the street protests, there is also a campaign demanding Höcke’s political disqualification, which has collected 1.5 million signatures in a few weeks.