In the affair of an old anti-Semitic leaflet, waiting for further clarification from Bavaria’s Deputy Prime Minister Hubert Aiwanger has begun. Prime Minister Markus Söder announced on Tuesday that the Free Voters chief should now answer 25 questions in writing. He did not give a deadline. The CSU chairman Söder also said nothing about the content of the questionnaire. However, one hopes for a “rapid and comprehensive” answer – and Aiwanger has also promised answers “to the best of our knowledge and belief”. Only then does the CSU boss want to make a “final assessment”.
Are you interested in politics? Subscribe to our free capital city newsletter! Subscribe to our free capital city newsletter – and read the most important information of the week, selected for you by our Berlin political experts.
On Saturday evening, Aiwanger had denied in writing that he had written an anti-Semitic leaflet when he was at school in the 1980s, which the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” had reported on. At the same time, however, he admitted that “one or a few copies” were found in his school bag. Shortly thereafter, Aiwanger’s older brother admitted to having written the pamphlet.
The leaflet is archived as part of a student work in the Dachau concentration camp memorial site. This was confirmed by a spokeswoman for the memorial on Tuesday evening. The “world” had first reported about it. The newspaper found out that the flyer was printed in the student work “Last Homeland Steinrain? On the History of the Jewish Cemetery near Mallersdorf-Pfaffenberg” by Roman Serlitzky. The work was written in the 1988/89 school year and won second prize in the “German History” student competition held by Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker. Since then it has been in the Dachau concentration camp memorial, writes the “Welt”. The spokeswoman for the memorial explained that the leaflet was printed in the student work without naming an author. “The flyer is not available as a single copy, but only as part of the student work.”
Aiwanger’s statements in the coalition committee on Tuesday were “definitely not enough for a final clarification,” said Söder. “No residual doubts” should remain. However, the Prime Minister also made it clear that he is sticking with Aiwanger, at least for the time being: “Until there is final clarification, as long as there is no new evidence or what has been said so far can be completely refuted, a dismissal from the office of a state minister would be excessive.”
The opposition accuses Söder of ducking away, a stalemate and delaying tactics – and for their part increased the pressure on the government six weeks before the state elections: A special session in the state parliament is expected to take place next week.
A new state parliament will be elected in Bavaria on October 8th. According to all the latest polls, the CSU and Free Voters can continue to govern afterwards. And Söder once again clearly committed to continuing the coalition on Tuesday: “The cooperation with the free voters as a whole has proven itself, it is good and we want to continue it.” There is no reason to change anything about it. Coalitions “did not depend on a single person,” Söder also said. “It’s the same with or without a person in state office.”
On Tuesday evening, Aiwanger spoke at the Steinbrünninger Herbstfest in the Berchtesgaden district, but only briefly addressed the allegations at the beginning of his speech: “Of course we are currently under a lot of public pressure, under attacks that hurt when you are confronted with things that where more than 35 years ago. But I think we have to look ahead, we have to see that we continue to govern this country in a stable manner.”
