CDU and SPD in Hesse continue to argue.

The reason for this is a publication by the Social Democratic state chairwoman Nancy Faeser in a magazine of the Association of People Persecuted by the Nazi Regime - Association of Anti-Fascists (VVN-BdA).

The organization is observed by the Federal and State Office for the Protection of the Constitution and is considered to be “influenced by left-wing extremists”.

Ewald Hetrodt

Correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung in Wiesbaden.

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The fact that Faeser, the current Federal Minister of the Interior, published an article in the magazine “antifa” in July last year is seen by the CDU as a “collaboration with left-wing extremists”.

The Social Democrats responded by demanding that the Union should "finally consistently support" the fight against right-wing extremism.

"SPD faction plays down left-wing extremism"

Such insinuations are forbidden, said Manfred Pentz, Secretary General of the CDU, on Tuesday.

With the murder of their party friend, the long-standing Kassel district president Walter Lübcke, his party had to “really painfully learn what these radicals are capable of”.

For the noble goal, the fight against right-wing extremism, one must "by no means join arms with the enemies of the constitution from the left".

As SPD leader, Faeser has repeatedly shown that she is blind in the left eye, according to the Union politician.

"The SPD parliamentary group has been playing down left-wing extremism for years, and Ms. Faeser even supports it with her guest contribution."

As you can hear from the SPD, the VVN had asked the social democrat for a guest contribution last year because she was also one of the women who received threatening letters signed “NSU 2.0”.

In her text, Faeser calls on all democrats to "fight against fascism and right-wing extremism".

Text "completely fine"

So far, no one has criticized the content of the article, said Marius Weiß, deputy leader of the SPD parliamentary group, on Tuesday.

The text is "completely fine".

The Social Democrats were also in the resistance against National Socialism.

That is why many of them have become members of the VVN state association in Hesse.

Against this background, he could "absolutely understand" the fact that Faeser wrote the guest article for the organization, Weiß explained.

Incidentally, he believes "that she would not do it again as Minister of the Interior".

The VVN, which has only been known to the general public since last weekend, has often been an issue in the Hessian government district.

Faeser was familiar with the associated problems not only as SPD chairman, but also as chairman of the parliamentary control commission for the protection of the constitution.

At the end of 2019 there was a heated debate in the plenary session of the state parliament.

Because the VVN had been classified as unconstitutional in Bavaria, German tax authorities had revoked the non-profit status of the association.

As a result, the left-wing faction asked the late Finance Minister Thomas Schäfer (CDU) in Berlin to work towards changing that.

That's what happened in the end, but not because of an intervention from Hesse.

The leadership of the VVN swore in lieu of an oath that they felt committed to parliamentary democracy.