Press comments on Maaßen: “Laschet has to be careful now”

Three months before the Bundestag election, the CDU leadership is trying to sharply demarcate itself from the controversial Bundestag candidate Hans-Georg Maaßen and thus avert further damage in the election campaign. After the former President of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution again doubted the political independence in public broadcasting, Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet and the entire CDU leadership emphasized the importance of freedom of the press and broadcasting for democracy on Monday. The Greens and the SPD used Maassen’s new statements for further attacks on CDU leader Laschet.

Laschet has been in a bind in the Maaßen case since its nomination as a direct candidate in southern Thuringia. If he were to comment in detail on his provocative theses, this could enhance the measure, the CDU believes. This also applies to an exclusion procedure, in which high hurdles apply and which, with an uncertain outcome, is likely to drag on until after the election at the end of September. Such a procedure could continuously deliver election campaign ammunition to the Greens and the SPD.

The media comment on the Maaßen cause and Laschet’s handling

“Märkische Oderzeitung”: “Every party has its nuisance. In the CDU this is currently clearly Hans-Georg Maaßen, the former head of the protection of the Constitution and current Bundestag direct candidate in constituency 196. At the weekend he once again caused a lot of excitement with the demand that public- legal journalists biographically and characteristically ‘put to the test’ to deliver. He later followed suit with a commitment to freedom of the press. First provoke, then relativize – this is the tried and tested method, first of all to keep in touch and secondly to shift boundaries in the desired direction. For the CDU the question now arises: How to deal with it? It goes without saying that not only Maassen, but also the opposition, want to force the party and, above all, its chancellor candidate Armin Laschet into a kind of duel.

“Reutlinger General-Anzeiger”: “The example of Maaßen shows how difficult the election campaign can still be for Union candidate Armin Laschet. Because further cross-cuts are to be expected from the political right wing who wants to win a Bundestag mandate in Thuringia. The CDU leader is trying to downplay the issue and refers to the party decision that there must be no cooperation with the AfD. That’s the red line. But that’s not enough, because Maaßen will try to push the limit of what can be said further to the right. He wants to win back conservative voters from the AfD. Whether this succeeds with this method is more than questionable, because if you want real right-wing populism, you vote for the AfD. “

“Ludwigsburger Kreiszeitung”: “There is always the danger of revaluing measures – whether through clear demarcation or demonstrative disregard. Especially since it receives a lot of media attention anyway. But the focus must be on the self-image of the Union. And that is to be a party of the middle. What So when it comes to the demarcation to the right, not only do many Union supporters expect a clear edge and clear words from the CDU chairman. Laschet can no longer do without them with regard to the AfD, but with a view to Maaßen he does. At least publicly. A mistake. Because that can make the impression an indirect toleration of the theses of the ex-constitution protection officer, with which he fishes on the right edge. Positions that do not correspond to those of the Union. “

“Südkurier”: “Every party has its Donald Trump. At the CDU his name is Hans-Georg Maaßen. Since some rebellious district associations in Thuringia put him up as a candidate for the Bundestag, the former head of the constitutional protection has been embarrassing the entire Union – including Chancellor candidate Laschet. Improvement is Not in sight: Anyone who demands sentiment tests for journalists on public service broadcasting knows that they are shaking freedom of the press. Such demands may fit in with the AfD, but certainly not with a rule of law party like the CDU. Nevertheless, the call for exclusion does not lead to any further. Such proceedings can drag on annoyingly long, as other parties have to painfully acknowledge. Nevertheless, campaigner Laschet took a second too long to distance himself. The CDU cannot afford any ambiguities in the delimitation to the right. The chairman has to clarify what should be clear. “

“Rhein-Zeitung”: “Armin Laschet now has to be careful that the Maaßen case does not slip away and that a second flaw haunts him in the next few weeks of the election campaign. As far as the demarcation to the right is concerned, not only many Union supporters expect clear words from the CDU chairman Laschet no longer misses with regard to the AfD, but with a view to Maaßen, at least publicly. A mistake, because this can give the impression of an indirect tolerance of what the ex-constitution protection officer is saying and what he is trying to admit on the right Of course, Maassen is not one to give in. Personnel will continue to accompany the CDU leader in the election campaign. It is not only important to distance yourself but also to finally talk more about content. Laschet still has to make his contribution. “

“General newspaper”: “All along, Laschet has been banking on Maassen’s integration, obviously in the hope of protecting the party’s right flank. Only, as a Thuringian CDU direct candidate, Maassen will by no means submit to the bigger picture, that is now clear. He will be stay who he is: a detonator who plumbs the borders of the Union to the right. And he will repeatedly question the values ​​of the Merkel and Laschet CDU. Disaster threatens from the Union of Values, even if it is not an official one Party structure is. Laschet must as quickly and unequivocally as possible at the ‘Firewall to the right’ work that he likes to have in his mouth himself. Otherwise the CDU has a major credibility problem. “