He is probably the most controversial CDU candidate in this federal election: Hans-Georg Maaßen (58), the 2018 after the quarrel about his “hunt” statemente had to vacate his place as head of the constitution protection in the course of the right-wing extremist riots in Chemnitz. Now Maassen is running for the Bundestag in constituency 196 (South Thuringia).
There is not only criticism from outside for this. Even within his CDU, he is so controversial that party leader and Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet (60) did not want to say at the Triell on Sunday whether he would choose his own party friend. “I do not comment on ‘would’ questions, I will vote in Aachen,” Laschet had said.
And how is it the other way around?
Maaßen on BILD Live, the BILD TV broadcaster: “I would vote for Armin Laschet. And I recommend to all voters who turn to me here in constituency 196 South Thuringia to vote for Armin Laschet ”.
Because: “The CDU is not a monolithic party, but a party with different wings, different positions. I take one position, but we are all pulling together and in one direction. ”
Thick air between Maaßen and Prien
Karin Prien (56, CDU), education minister in Schleswig-Holstein and member of Laschet’s future team, had previously said that she would rather vote for the SPD opponent than for Maassen if she was allowed to vote in constituency 196. Maaßen then asked Laschet Priens to be expelled from the team.
“I found your statement unwise,” Maaßen said at BILD LIVE zu Prien. “I found your statement unwise. We are in a very difficult election campaign situation. I have to keep explaining to the voters why they should vote for Armin Laschet. Such a statement doesn’t help us. ”
However, he did not confirm the request for expulsion: “Armin Laschet said that she (Prien) would stay in the team. I have to accept that. ”
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“I’m taking votes from the AfD”
The fact that Laschet did not want to make it clear that he would choose Maaßen is obviously not offended by him: “Well, as a lawyer, I would always recommend Laschet not to comment on speculative questions. He is not eligible to vote in constituency 196, he is not allowed to vote for me and that is why he does not need to comment on it. ”
Laschet had also said in Triell that Maaßen was a member of the CDU, but was “not in the middle of the CDU.” Maaßen said: “I think that’s not true. But I think that’s a matter of opinion. Everyone in the party can have his or her concept of ‘center’. ”
When calling on a neo-Nazi to give him the first vote and vote for the AfD with a second vote, Maaßen says: “That is an imposed election recommendation that I did not ask for and do not want. I have the impression that it may be uttered to discredit me. I distance myself from it. ”
Maaßen defended his candidacy: He is strengthening the CDU because he is taking away votes from the AfD and also mobilizing protest voters who would otherwise stay at home on election day. He feels a lot of tailwind in his constituency. And not only there: “I think I represent a very strong group within the CDU,” said Maaßen.
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