It is above all men who have gathered in a hotel in the center of Cologne on this sunny Saturday morning. And a lot of security personnel, many Russian origin.
Among the approximately 150 participants are the former President of the Federal Constitutional Protection Hans-Georg Maaßen, the controversial political scientist and political advisor Werner Patzelt, Klaus Kelle and the publicist and self-proclaimed sympathizer of the identity movement Matthias Matussek.
The occasion: A meeting of the values union, a union of conservative politicians of CDU and CSU, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) criticized sharply.
It is Maaß's first public appearance to a larger audience, and it's a home game. The members of the values union are fans. For her he is a hero, an upright person. Is this perhaps the first serve of former top official Maassen as a politician?
The conservative association's NRW state chairman moderates Maaßen with the words: There are two types of politicians - "some are honest, others are making a career". And: "If a man tells the truth, and the facts are twisted, that the truth is no longer recognizable, it's time for the brave to open their mouths, and I welcome Mr. Maaßen."
"More say for upstanding people like Mr Maassen"
As Maaßen begins to talk, it quickly becomes clear: Part of his personal bitterness has swallowed the 56-year-old now. When he took office as President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), he had decided not to do the job for more than seven years, "so it was just the time that I left after just over six years," he explains - and almost sounds like that conciliatory. He feels "on the sidelines" now quite well.
Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) had put Maassen on temporary retirement last November. This was preceded by ambiguous remarks by Maaß on protests in Chemnitz after a German had been violently killed. He doubted that it came to raiding on foreigners, said Maaßen shortly after the "Bild" newspaper and did not exclude "targeted misinformation".
According to an international secret service audience, Maaßen later spoke, according to the manuscript, of "radical left-wing forces in the SPD", who after the events of Chemnitz wanted to provoke a break in the grand coalition. After the speech text became known, Seehofer, who until then had held to Maassen, pulled the ripcord. (Read more about the controversies surrounding Maassen here.)
The chairman of the conservative values Union, Alexander Mitsch said on Saturday: "It is significant how the SPD attacked Mr Maaßen, it was about to get rid of a peak force to profile themselves a scandal that has given the Chancellor, the we have to complain, we do not want to live with that - the CDU has to give upright people like Mr Maaßen more say, that's what we do. "
What is Maaßen doing today? He does a lot of sports, says the former secret service chief before the start of the event. There have been some job offers. He seems more composed than in the days so exciting for him last fall.
He had chills when in 2015 refugees came to Germany
Why did he not say much about the circumstances of his replacement at the head of the protection of the constitution? "I did not want to pour more oil into the political fire," says Maaßen. He wants to stay in this course today. In political issues that move him, Maaßen is clear. And the members of the Wert-Union eagerly listen to Maaßen's remarks on migration, terrorist threat and the state of democracy.
The results of the recent workshop discussion of the CDU on migration policy contained "a whole number of improvements", such as the regulation of the responsibilities of various authorities. "Nevertheless, the paper does not satisfy me," he adds - clearly satisfied that he can now speak without the shackles he was wearing as a top official. At the beginning of the week, the CDU held a workshop discussion with politicians, lawyers and administrative experts on migration issues at the Konrad-Adenauer-Haus. Party leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer had wanted to end the dispute over the refugee policy.
Maaßen in Cologne commented critically on current statements made by the former Federal Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière (CDU) on the 2015 refugee crisis. De Maizière said in his book "Regieren" published last week that the rejection of asylum seekers at the border would have been possible at that time. but would have drawn ugly pictures. Maaßen said that he greatly appreciated de Maizière. However, the rule of law only proves itself "when unpleasant decisions have to be made".
He had shivering when he saw how in 2015, thousands of people "simply" entered Germany. Hundreds of foreigners would still come across the borders every day without a visa, according to Maaßen - "in our view, we do not yet have the migration situation under control". That was also a big problem with regard to the threat of terrorism emanating from unidentified extremists. Because: It is outlandish, "that we can integrate the people to a predominant part".
In addition, the former president of the protection of the constitutional protection lamented that the worries of the people in the East in the policy would not be perceived as well as a narrowing of the opinion corridor in politics and the media. "Many are now afraid to express their opinions freely, so as not to be put in the right corner," he said on Saturday and means perhaps this also to himself. Maaßen was accused last year, he prevents the protection of the constitution his Look at the AFD sharpens.