Are the talks with the SPD endangered? After the protests against the CDU and its proximity to AfD, the Union questions the non-profit nature of NGOs and harvests sharp criticism.
This article was first published by ntv.de
A request from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group on the state support of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is burdening the upcoming discussions with the SPD about the formation of a coalition. The new SPD parliamentary group leader Lars Klingbeil spoke of a “foul” and asked the Union to withdraw the request. “I cannot imagine a situation where we sit together in working groups in the morning and discuss the investments in the Bundeswehr, into the train or infrastructure. And in the afternoon I experience that the Union sends out exactly such inquiries and puts the pillory of our democracy,” said the SPD-Co boss.
Union faction vice Mathias Middelberg, on the other hand, defended the request. “With our small request, we want to check whether individual NGOs … behave lawfully,” he said. “Or you may also be used in party politics. That would not be okay, and our questions refer to that,” Middelberg told RTL/NTV.
The Union accuses several NGOs of organizing protests against “right”, even though they are subsidized or taxed by the state. The background is the joint coordination of the Union with the AfD when it comes to migration in the Bundestag in January. This resulted in large demonstrations nationwide, in which hundreds of thousands of participation took part. Her protest was not only against the AfD, but also against the Union. As a result, the Union sends a total of 551 questions to the government under the title “Political Neutrality of state -funded organizations”. The Federal Ministry of Finance in Berlin confirmed the entrance. A spokeswoman said the request is now being processed at high pressure. However, she could not yet make an assessment.
“I’m really horrified”
In the opening credits of the CDU/CSU request: “The background is protests against the CDU in Germany, which were organized or supported partly by non -profit associations or state -financed organizations.” This raises the question of “to what extent non -profit associations, which are also promoted with taxpayers’ money, may be able to press party politics without endangering their non -profit status.” A spokesman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior emphasized that “of course only projects are promoted and promoted who clearly promote the free-democratic basic order”.
The managing director of Campact, Felix Kolb, was “really horrified by RTL/NTV that our future chancellor did not understand that you have to expect contradiction and criticism in a democracy”. The association also does not get any money from the state.
SPD: Union has to build trust
Numerous questions from the Union refer to the journalistic research network “Correctiv”, which is partially financed with tax money. The editor -in -chief, Anette Dowideit, said: “I think that this request is a pretty big democratic problem, for several reasons.” A narrative of the AfD is used and transferred to the social mainstream that a non -profit organization per se would be something that you have to fear, she said RTL/NTV. “I find that very dangerous democratically.” Criticism also came from the German Association of Journalists (DJV).
Middelberg, on the other hand, stated that political education was not promoted “if it is used to influence political will formation and public opinion in the sense of its own views”. Financial courts in tax law proceedings, for example against organizations such as Campact and Attac, have emphasized this several times in recent years. “Civil society engagement is essential and worthy of funding,” emphasized Middelberg. “However, publicly funded commitment should not be used for party political purposes.”
In the SPD, which also called for demonstrations against the AfD, the Union request is considered an unfriendly act immediately after the Bundestag election. The Union must build up trust and approach the future coalition partner, if there should be a government at all, it said.
“This is harassment”
Political scientist Cord Schmelzle from the University of Frankfurt evaluates the parliamentary request as a revenge. “I think Friedrich Merz feels attacked by the protests that have not only been directed against the right, but also against his politics. Especially his maneuver in the Bundestag to say goodbye to the votes of the AfD. And that now seems to me to be a revenge for it,” he said RTL/NTV with a view to the CDU boss. “This is harassment.” The Union uses a parliamentary procedure to put pressure on this organization.
Greens, Left and SPD also criticized the procedure of CDU/CSU. The parliamentary managing director of the Greens parliamentary group, Irene Mihalic, told the Editorial Network Germany, the Union copies “form and style of the AfD”. The request reveals “the authoritarian features of the Union”. CDU/CSU tried to put together clubs like “Grandma’s against Right” and to frighten them.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
