German spy chief’s fate in hands of cabinet after far right controversy
GERMANY - The German cabinet is set for a crunch meeting on Tuesday on the fate of the country’s domestic intelligence agency chief the day after the chancellor, Angela Merkel, reportedly decided he had waded too far into day-to-day politics with his controversial remarks on far-right violence. The embattled head of the BfV agency, Hans-Georg Maaßen, has faced calls for his resignation after he questioned the authenticity of video footage showing far-right protesters chasing migrants in Chemnitz.
Die Welt, which cited government sources, said on Monday that Merkel viewed Maaßen’s position as untenable. It added her decision would stand regardless of the reaction of Maaßen’s direct superior, the interior minister, Horst Seehofer. The German government has declined to comment. Maaßen came under fire after he contradicted Merkel’s description of a far-right protest in the eastern town. Merkel’s spokesman referred to the scenes as a Hetzjagd, or hounding of migrants. Maaßen, speaking to the Bild, said he had seen no evidence such events had taken place.
Ahead of the closely watched meeting, Seehofer was upbeat. “I’m pretty optimistic tomorrow we will reach a final decision because of our responsibility for the continued existence of the government,” he said, adding that the “sensitive situation” required “prudent handling”. The upcoming 14 October state election in Bavaria means that Seehofer is set on saving face. Recent polls have suggested support for his CSU party is sinking to its lowest level this year in its home region.
The SPD and opposition parties have repeated demands for Maaßen to end his six-year stint at the top of BfV, or the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. “I can no longer trust him,” said Nahles, adding that protecting the constitution meant protecting democracy. She criticised Maaßen’s comments as downplaying violent incidents in Chemnitz, which were reported and filmed by many witnesses. “Whoever makes himself an ally of rightwing conspiracy theories is out of place as the head of the office for constitutional protection.”
Both Merkel and Seehofer have separately insisted that the coalition government would not crumble over the Maaßen issue. But commentators have argued that the long-running debate has paralysed German politics, distracting decisionmakers from tackling farright violence in the wake of the Chemnitz protests in late August. On a visit to Finland, German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for a swift end to the Maaßen row. During a meeting in the Latvian capital Riga, he said he had noted a “sharp” foreign gaze on developments in Germany. He underscored how important it was for Europeans to be able to work with “a stable Germany and a stable government”.
(The Guardian)