The Thuringian CDU candidate for the Bundestag and former constitutional protection chief Hans-Georg Maaßen has caused violent reactions with allegations against public broadcasting.
The German Association of Journalists demanded an “urgent apology” via Twitter at the weekend.
The vice-chairman of the SPD parliamentary group, Katja Mast, held against Maaßen to agree to the AfD's tenor.
This is "shabby and dangerous".
The former left-wing chairman Bernd Riexinger said that Maassen does not belong in the Bundestag.
Maaßen had accused the public broadcasters in an interview published on Thursday with the television broadcaster tv.berlin of “manipulating opinions”, for example by omitting facts and using “tricks”.
"I think it is a shame that the supervisory authorities do not really correct this public service broadcasting system in this regard and ensure that something like this no longer takes place," said Maaßen.
He brought an "NDR committee of inquiry" into discussion.
“Tagesschau” defends itself
The North German Broadcasting Corporation (NDR) was responsible for the “Tagesschau”, explained the CDU politician. “When you see that there are also connections between the“ Tagesschau ”or between people who work for the public broadcasting service and“ Tagesschau ”and the left and left-wing extremist scene - then it would be really worth investigating that Even the biography of some editors is put to the test to see whether these people have the character trait (...) to accompany the “Tagesschau” through the editors. ”Maaßen was not more specific on this point.
NDR spokeswoman Barbara Jung announced in response to a dpa request that the “Tagesschau” had a “high standard of objectivity and diligence in reporting”.
She only follows journalistic criteria when selecting news.
"The" Tagesschau "stands for balanced, comprehensible and fact-based journalism."
Maaßen is running for the Bundestag in the election on September 26th in a constituency in southern Thuringia, which also includes the city of Suhl.
He is controversial because of his stance on the federal government's refugee policy, among other things.
Politicians from the SPD, the Greens and the Left have repeatedly accused the CDU of fishing with measures on the right.
SPD General Secretary Lars Klingbeil linked a critical tweet with the tv.berlin video on Twitter and wrote with a view to the CDU chief and candidate for chancellor: "And Armin Laschet is silent."