After the secret meeting of right-wing radicals and AfD representatives, unrest is also growing among entrepreneurs and company bosses. Nevertheless, many people avoid open confrontation with the party.
Given the high poll numbers for the AfD and growing protests against the party, more and more managers and entrepreneurs are venturing out of cover – but without directly mentioning the AfD by name. In a survey by “Spiegel”, some important bosses of German companies who had previously remained silent in similar surveys spoke out for the first time.
Christian Sewing, CEO of Deutsche Bank, explained: “Right-wing extremist tendencies are a major threat to our free basic order and our location.” Racism and intolerance should have no place in an open country and a globally oriented economy. According to Sewing, foreign investors are already hesitant about further investments in Germany. Although it was clear who he was targeting, he did not mention the AfD in his statement.
Few CEOs dare to name the AfD
Jochen Hanebeck, head of chip manufacturer Infineon, made similar comments. He wrote on the career network LinkedIn: “As CEO, I consider economic and social policies aimed at isolation to be harmful and a threat to prosperity for all of us.” The basic values of peaceful coexistence are non-negotiable, Hanebeck continued. “Hate and exclusion must have no place in our society. The idea of so-called remigration is inhumane.”
Bosch boss Stefan Hartung, E.on boss Leonhard Birnbaum and Uniper boss Michael Lewis also spoke to “Spiegel”. Hartung and Birnbaum avoided calling the AfD by name. Only Lewis said that he rejects any xenophobic ideas that the AfD also represents.
The reticence has a pattern
Source: Stern
