Thüringen: How a SPD politician with Thilo Sarrazin his party brings into the Bredouille

Oskar Helmerich has already caused grief to the SPD in Thuringia. When he joined the Thuringian parliamentary group of the Social Democrats in the spring of 2016 as a non-attached MP, it was a controversial move. The young SPD deputy Diana Lehmann came with tears in the eyes of the meeting of the SPD faction, in which Helmerich's admission had been approved positive. At that time, the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" noted it.

The change also hit national news headlines. For Helmerich had been co-founder of the Thuringian AfD, many in the SPD would not believe that the lawyer had broken so fast with his past. The Thuringian Jusos wrote back then, they were against accepting a politician, who sat until 2015 for a "national-chauvinist party like the AfD in a state and a local parliament."

Now the critics of that time can feel confirmed. After all, Helmerich wants to invite the controversial book author Thilo Sarrazin to a reading of his latest Islam-critical book "Enemy takeover" to Erfurt - four days before the European elections in late May. The SPD member of parliament speaks of a measure, "which fits into the political concept of the Thuringian SPD to recruit voters who have migrated to the AfD." So he declared it now the "Thuringian general".

Since then it hails criticism, in the state party, but also in the federal SPD. SPD Vice Ralf Stegner, representative of the left wing, said on Sunday at the request of SPIEGEL, with Sarrazin wanted to have "decent Social Democrats" nothing to do. "Intolerance, racism and the crude anti-Islam and xenophobic rhetoric contradict all the basic values ​​for which the SPD stands," said the SPD politician.

DPA

Thilo Sarrazin in March 2019 in Vienna

The invitation of Helmerich to Sarrazin is also so spicy for the comrades, because the SPD Federal Executive only in the past year has launched the attempt to throw the former Berlin Finance Senator from among its own ranks with a third party exclusion procedure. As a basis serves the party executive committee this time the final report of a specially established commission, which recognized in the book Sarrazin "hostile takeover" clear contradictions to the basic values ​​of the SPD.

Helmerich secures the one-vote advantage of red-red-green

Helmerich's invitation to Sarrazin may bring the small SPD state association in Thuringia into turbulence. "That can cheer up," tweeted the CDU parliamentary faction and pointed out that Helmerich secured the small majority of the coalition under Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left). In fact, in the spring of 2017, an SPD member of the party withdrew from the party and changed to the CDU faction, thus melted the red-red-green majority in the Thuringian state parliament on a seat.

As a junior partner in the state government, the SPD fights this year by every percentage point on the way to the state election at the end of October, most recently in a dimap survey at 11 percent.

I want to win back existing AFD voters by critical argument, not by Angiederung. 2/2 # spdth #ltwth

All the more clear is the leadership endeavoring to distance itself from Helmerich. He received sharp criticism from the Thuringian SPD chief of state and economics minister Wolfgang Tiefensee, who tries to present the matter as a private matter of the deputy. On Twitter wrote the former Federal Minister of an unannounced solo effort and also distanced himself "explicitly and sharply" from Sarrazin and his "anti-Islamic statements." He, Tiefensee, wants to win back existing AfD voters by critical argument, "not by Anbiederung", he gave Helmerich indirectly with a piece of advice along the way.

#Sarrazin is a racist. His theses have made hatred stronger and inspired the New Right. They are the opposite of social democracy. The event is canceled. @ SPDThueringen https://t.co/DZaDqnWWbs

The Thuringian Juso boss Oleg Shevchenko asked Helmerich to cancel the event. "Sarazzin is a racist," he tweeted. From the Erfurt city council, the Juso member Kevin Gross, who - like Helmerich - the local SPD faction belongs in the local parliament. In a sarcastic-sounding tweet, he expressed "maximum gratitude" to "our white old leadership cadres", who in 2016 had "rigorously whipped up" Helmerich's recording.

Helmerich once criticized Höcke

Helmerich, lawyer and born in Bavaria, once belonged to the co-founders of the Thuringian AfD with Björn Höcke, on the second list place he came behind him in 2014 in the state parliament, belonged to the AFD-state board. But soon he overcame himself with the country and faction leader, spoke publicly of a "dangerous guy", under which the AfD in Thuringia had become "extreme right". Höcke, says Helmerich, wanted a "leader state".

Höcke again defended himself against statements by Helmerichs and commented once on his change to the SPD parliamentary group with Häme. He wished the SPD that this "deep insights into his political beliefs and the quality of his thinking and working" win.

When Helmerich was inducted three years ago in the SPD parliamentary group, noted the correspondent of the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" from the SPD-Fraktionsspitze the following remark: With Helmerich have the Thuringian SPD "no Sarrazin in their ranks".