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Berlin / Erfurt (dpa) - Ex-Federal Constitutional Protection President Hans-Georg Maaßen (CDU) has rejected allegations of climate activist Luisa Neubauer that he spread anti-Semitic content as unfounded.
"For me, these are unfounded and paperless allegations that I vigorously reject," Maassen told the German press agency on Monday.
Neubauer did not have any evidence to support their claims.
Nowadays anything can be said about everyone, according to Maaßen.
"It is brutalizing the political discourse that one has to take note of."
Neubauer had accused Maassen on Sunday evening in the ARD program “Anne Will” of distributing the content of anti-Semitic blogs.
CDU boss and Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet - also in the panel discussion - replied: "Anti-Semitism would not be acceptable".
And further: "I tell you, he is not an anti-Semite and he does not distribute any anti-Semitic texts and if he did, it would be a reason to be excluded from the party."
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Maassen praised Laschet's demeanor.
“I understand Mr. Laschet, his approach is correct.
There should be no room for anti-Semites in the CDU. "
The former President of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution was nominated by four CDU district associations as a direct candidate for the Bundestag in southern Thuringia at the end of April.
This has been heavily criticized in some cases within the Union, but also by other parties.
Maaßen is controversial in parts of the CDU because of his critical stance on the federal government's liberal refugee policy in 2015 and 2016.
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