German Green Party’s Deputy Faction Leader in the Bundestag, Konstantin von Notz, has criticized Union Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz for what he sees as political maneuvering and a lack of responsibility in the wake of the Aschaffenburg incident. “As a coalition, we had presented a security package months ago” von Notz told the Mediengruppe Bayern (Friday editions). “The Union had it fail in the Bundesrat due to election campaign considerations.”
Friedrich Merz, the CDU’s chancellor candidate, has also rejected further security legislation, according to von Notz, who is also the chair of the Parliamentary Control Committee. “Who puts party politics ahead of the well-being of the country is simply irresponsible” von Notz said.
“The Aschaffenburg incident is a horrific and unsettling crime. Once again, innocent and defenseless people have been victims of a perpetrator who had previously come to the attention of the authorities, apparently multiple times, including for violent offenses” the MP said. “The perpetrator was deportable and should not have been in the country. It is clear once again: we are dealing with an enforcement problem, not a legislative one.”
Von Notz warned against oversimplifying the issue. “We understand everyone who is outraged and frustrated by the frequency of such crimes” he said. “However, we warn strongly against instrumentalizing the crime in the election campaign, as the AfD is trying to do. We must not let ourselves be divided as a society.”
At the same time, the public’s safety must be effectively enhanced, von Notz emphasized. “To achieve this, we must conduct a precise analysis of why a perpetrator who had previously come to the attention of the authorities and was known for a long time was still able to commit such a horrific crime, and why the cooperation of various authorities failed once again” he said.
Bayern was criticized for its shortcomings. “Unlike in the recent Magdeburg incident, where multiple federal and state authorities were involved, the events in this case largely unfolded in Bavaria. We expect the Bavarian authorities and the federal authorities to immediately and comprehensively provide transparency on all available information about the perpetrator and his background” von Notz said. “Only then can the necessary political consequences for the enhancement of our country’s security be drawn quickly.