In a significant development, Bavarian Premier Markus Soeder made the decision not to dismiss his deputy, Hubert Aiwanger, despite allegations of past association with anti-Semitic writings. This decision comes amidst a political crisis in the German state. The premier, belonging to the center-right Christian Social Union, addressed the issue during a press conference in Munich. Soeder stated that after thorough discussions with Aiwanger, he concluded that firing him would not be an appropriate response. This move by Soeder has faced criticism from some members of Chancellor Olof Scholz’s ruling coalition, including German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser of the Social Democrats, who called it a cynical decision motivated by power calculations. Nonetheless, Soeder remains firm in his stance.
The controversy surrounding Aiwanger started when a recent report by the Munich newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung revealed his alleged connection with an anti-Semitic leaflet published during the 1987-88 school year. At the time, Aiwanger, who was 17 years old, was reportedly punished by the disciplinary committee of his school after the leaflet was found in his book bag. Although Aiwanger has admitted to possessing the leaflet, his older brother now claims to be its author. Despite expressing remorse over the revelations, Aiwanger has refused to step down from his position as deputy premier.
To investigate the matter further, Soeder instructed Aiwanger to answer a set of 25 written questions regarding the incident. While not all of his answers were satisfactory, Soeder found no concrete evidence implicating Aiwanger as the author or distributor of the leaflet.
The political landscape in Bavaria saw the formation of an alliance between Soeder’s CSU and the populist Free Voters party four years ago. This alliance was established after Soeder declined partnerships with the far-right Alternative for Germany and the Greens, following his party’s poor election results. Soeder’s decision to retain Aiwanger as deputy has raised concerns within the ruling coalition.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser of the Social Democrats criticized the decision in a post on social media, calling it a cynical move driven by power calculations. She emphasized the importance of not treating anti-Semitism as a tactical matter.
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