Germany: CDU call - `renewed patriotism'
01 January 1991
Germany: CDU call - `renewed patriotism'
artdoc May=1994
The ruling Christian Democrats and their Bavarian allies, the
Christian Social Union, have made a call for `renewed patriotism'
a central plank of their election programme in the run-up to next
year's regional, national and European elections. The new stance
comes amidst a row over Chancellor Kohl's backing of the East
German politician and theologian Steffen Heitmann (presently the
justice minister in Saxony) as favoured candidate to become the
country's next federal president. Heitmann has warned of Germany
becoming swamped by foreigners, and has said that `The people
calling for brotherly love ... are not the ones whose washing is
nicked every day from the line.' According to the Guardian Weekly
(10.10.93) the left-wing press have noted upon remarks that
Heitmann made when walking through a Stuttgart neighbourhood with
a large immigrant population. `Are we really still in our country
here?' he asked. He has also angered the women's movement by his
comments suggesting that a woman's place is in the home (Guardian
10.9.93, 19.9.93).
Ignatz Bubis, a prominent Jewish leader, met Mr Heitmann
recently to ask him to withdraw remarks he made in September in
an interview in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Heitmann had suggested
that Germans should no longer dwell on the Holocaust and that the
murder of six million Jews in Nazi Germany should not mean that
the country should play a special role `until the end of time'
(Jewish Chronicle 24.9.93).
Another theme likely to become a major issue in the run-up to
the general election is crime and law and order. Germany's
Interior Minister, Manfred Kanther, wants new police powers and
improved coordination between police and security agencies. The
Liberal Free Democrats, who are presently in coalition with the
Christian Democrats, oppose measures to place listening devices
in the homes of suspects and to allow police, acting as
undercover agents, to be involved in criminal actions. They also
argue that racial violence can best be tackled not by tougher
action against juveniles, but by changing the status of
foreigners (Financial Times 1.10.93).
Neo-nazi activities monitored by state
The Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the government
agency responsible for monitoring right-wing extremists, has
revealed the launch of an undercover operation following reports
that neo-nazi groups are beginning to form a national network.
The view that a nationwide neo-nazi network is forming is in
stark contrast to the previously held government view that most
racist attacks were the work of loosely-formed gangs of skinheads
carrying out spontaneous outbursts of violence (Jewish Chronicle
10.9.93). Meanwhile, six states have now deemed illegal the
flying of the war flag of the German Reich (Newsletter of German
Information Centre).
In Karlsruhe, the Constitutional Court is being asked to
consider outlawing the Free Workers' Party (FAP). Many members
of FAP, founded in 1979 and with an estimated 220 members, were
present at a neo-nazi parade in Fulda in memory of Hitler's
deputy, Rudolf Hess. The state secretary in the Hesse Interior
Ministry, Christoph Kulenkampff, has been sacked following
criticisms over his failure to stop the march (Jewish Chronicle
27.8.93).
Another neo-nazi organisation, the Friends of Freedom for
Germany (FFD) has also been banned by the state of North Rhine-
Westphalia (Weekly Journal 9.9.93).
Republikaner neo-nazi links claim
The Simon Wiesenthal Centre in Los Angeles claims to have
unearthed links between neo-nazis and the far-right Republikaner
party during an undercover operation. When Yaron Svoray
infiltrated neo-nazi organisations, he was introduced to at least
thirty members of the Republikaners, two of whom were plotting
to overthrow its leader, Franz Schonhuber, so as to drive the
party even further rightwards. The Simon Wiesentha