The CDU has had enough: they no longer want the former head of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Maassen, in their ranks. In an interview with ntv.de, party leader Merz explains the drastic step – and the timing.
According to CDU leader Friedrich Merz, the former head of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Hans-Georg Maassen, has forfeited his party membership. "Doctor Maassen is obviously not interested in the well-being of the CDU. On the contrary, he constantly violates the principles and order of the party," said Merz to ntv.de. Earlier in the day, the party presidium had asked Maassen to leave. If he does not comply with the request by 12 noon next Sunday, a party exclusion procedure will be initiated against Maassen.
"The Presidium of the CDU Germany is unanimously of the opinion that Doctor Maassen has to leave the party," said Merz in the afternoon. "We were faced with weighing up whether we wanted to continue to be provoked by Mr. Maaßen or whether we should now make a cut. This point was reached with the statements made last week."
In an interview last week, Maaßen spoke of a "green-red racial theory," "according to which whites are viewed as an inferior race and that Arab and African men must therefore be brought into the country." He had also openly shown sympathy for anti-Semitic claims and other conspiracy stories on social media.
For Merz, a point has been reached that has nothing to do with the values of his party. "I also see conservatives in the CDU as part of our party. We had a very wide range of different opinions in the CDU for decades. But they all came together under the umbrella of the CDU," said Merz. "Mr. Maassen's language has nothing to do with being conservative." The text of the decision by the CDU presidium says about Maaßen: "Again and again he uses the language from the milieu of anti-Semites and conspiracy ideologues to ethnic expressions." There is no place in the CDU for the ideas expressed in this way.
The CDU Presidium also distanced itself from the Value Union group, which Maassen elected as its chairman at the weekend. Because Maaßen was nevertheless elected chairman after his most recent statements became known, the Value Union must also be able to be attributed to his statements. "We therefore call on the members of the so-called 'Union of Values', who are also members of the CDU, to leave the so-called 'Union of Values'," the resolution continues.
