German politician Hubert Aiwanger, the deputy head of the Bavarian government and chairman of the Free Voters, has expressed his opposition to a potential ban on the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, even after it was labeled as “securely right-wing extremist” by experts. In an interview with the Welt television channel, Aiwanger argued that the party’s issues resonated with a significant portion of the population and that a ban would not address the underlying problems that led to the AfD’s success.
The politician emphasized that the AfD has managed to address the topic of migration, which has been a sensitive issue for many and that the party’s popularity is a result of the failure of other parties to tackle the issue. Aiwanger believes that the new federal government should focus on resolving the migration issue and that this would likely lead to a decline in the AfD’s popularity.
In a separate context, Aiwanger expressed a positive view of the recent developments in Germany regarding freedom of speech, which he believes has been increasingly restricted in the past. He praised the public for pushing back against the trend of self-censorship, saying that many people are now more willing to express their opinions, even if they are not perfectly “politically correct.” Aiwanger attributed this shift to the growing awareness of the importance of freedom of speech.
In a critical remark, the Bavarian minister of economics expressed relief that the Greens are not part of the new federal government, calling the party’s ideology “police-phobic” and stating that its roots are in an anti-authoritarian and anti-police environment. Aiwanger also accused the Greens of having contributed to the polarization of society and of being responsible, along with the left-wing media, for the AfD’s success.