The AfD’s triumph in the mayoral election in Pirna could have been prevented. The example shows that those who do not even try to fight against the far-right have already lost.
Is there a breach – will a brown wave soon flood the country? Not just a federal state, no, the entire federal republic. In Tim Lochner, the AfD has now elected a mayor for the first time – in Pirna, Saxony.
The 53-year-old, a carpenter. He literally knows where the wood is being cut. He had already run as a candidate, last time, and then did not give up.
Everyone could have been warned. All those who are of good will; willing to fight the AfD. This party, which in Saxony is classified as definitively far-right by the domestic intelligence service.
That Lochner does not belong to them does not change anything about this matter. After all, he sits in the city council for the AfD; he knows what he is doing there for whom.
Stand up against and fight the AfD? Far from it. In the first round, their candidate led with just under 33 percent of the votes, followed by the candidate for the Free Voters. It could have worked to prevent Lochner; but there was no alliance for this purpose, not with this CDU.
The CDU is guilty
The Free Voters are right: with the renewed candidacy of the CDU candidate, the CDU “knowingly accepted to be the forerunner for the AfD”. The Christian Democrats could have had an alternative.
Of all parties, the CDU. Not necessarily a party of programs, but an experienced ruling party, like no other. With this principle: the state first, then the party.
You shall know them by their actions. And according to that, they have sinned. It’s about Pirna, about the around 40,000 people there, but not only about Pirna. It’s about Saxony, which has to defend itself against right-wing populism and the far-right, but not just about Saxony alone.
Consider regional bans on AfD as well
Looking at the Federal Republic, it becomes increasingly clear, and especially this time, how important it is to clarify the stance towards the AfD. And, above all, to act accordingly.
Those who want to fight, should fight, both in terms of content and legally. The Federal President, a Social Democrat, and the President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, a Christian Democrat, have recently indicated as closely as possible: regional bans on the far-right are possible.
You just have to want it, want to try. Those who do not try have already lost. Or continue to lose, as in the case of Pirna.
Clear legally – clear politically. This means, firstly, to rectify all the mistakes that the traffic light coalition is making at the federal level, so that it gives the feeling that one can rely on the state. Fuel, rent, heating, all expensive, without compensation for people with little money – the majority does not forgive. Politics is for the people, not vice versa. And people turn away.
CDU leader Merz
soll anführen – bloß nicht in die rechte Ecke
Zweitens dürfen der AfD in keiner Weise einfach Erfolge zugestanden werden. Die Partei soll nicht behaupten können, dass sie zur etablierten Partei wird. Sie ist in erster Linie völkisch. Aus diesem Grund sollte niemand im Wahlvolk behaupten können, er oder sie hätten nicht gewusst, wen sie unterstützen.
Die CDU muss sich die Frage stellen, was sie zugelassen hat. Nicht bloß die Christdemokraten in Pirna, sondern auch in Sachsen. Und nicht bloß in Sachsen, sondern auch auf Bundesebene.
Parteichef Friedrich Merz möchte ständig die Führung übernehmen – dann soll er das mal machen. Aber nicht in die rechte Ecke. Dort ist bereits die AfD positioniert. Die CDU war stets in der Mitte.
Es sollte daher im Mittelpunkt der Bemühungen der CDU stehen, ihre Regierungsfähigkeit durch Glaubwürdigkeit zu bekräftigen. Politik auf Basis des christlichen Menschenbildes ist niemals völkisch, niemals rassistisch, niemals rechtsextrem.
AfD-Chefin Alice Weidel bezeichnet den Sieg in Pirna als „historisch“. Besser nicht. In dieser Hinsicht sollten alle Demokraten einer Meinung sein: Eine Brandschutzmauer ist eine Brandschutzmauer, da darf nichts durchsickern. Auch nicht in Sachsen. Vor allem nicht dort, wo bald der Landtag gewählt wird. Dies darf nicht zu einem weiteren großen Durchbruch führen.
Von Stephan-Andreas Castorff
