In a now-deleted TikTok video, Hessian AfD member of the state parliament Maximilian Müger poses with an assault rifle at the ready, calls for “free weapons for free citizens!” and shoots into the air. Criticism also comes from his own party.
With regard to the attack in Solingen, the AfD MP said: “You are no longer safe in German cities and have to fear being stabbed or otherwise murdered at a party or on the way home.” According to an AfD spokesman, Müger explained that the video was “accidentally” published on TikTok for a few minutes. It was intended for private use.
Hesse’s Interior Minister Poseck said: “Obviously, the aim here is to legitimize the use of armed force in migration policy. And that is terrible.” He stressed: “Such actions pose a high risk that outbreaks of violence will actually occur.”
According to an AfD spokesman, Müger said: “The video was shot at an official shooting range in Poland under the supervision of a shooting instructor and the rental weapon is subject to all regulations of Polish law.” He is an aspiring sports shooter.
But Müger also received criticism from within his own party. The Hessian AfD parliamentary group leader and co-state chairman Robert Lambrou said: “Anyone who speaks about political issues while holding a gun and then firing it is crossing a line. That is a style of politics that I strongly reject. This video will have consequences.”
AfD state leader: Video will be discussed
According to the Hessischer Rundfunk (hr)Link will open in a new tab Lambrou had previously said, however, that Müger got to the heart of many things. His statements about a different sense of security in Poland and Germany, for example, reflected the view of many German citizens. However, Lambrou told Hessischer Rundfunk that he himself would never have published such a video. The video will be discussed in the AfD parliamentary group.
All four other parliamentary groups in the Wiesbaden state parliament were appalled. CDU Interior Minister Poseck said on the sidelines of the presentation of the Hessian Constitutional Protection Report 2023 with regard to reactions from the AfD leadership in the state: “I think that shows the true face of this party.” He said he had noticed solidarity and no distancing from the Hessian AfD.
The Wiesbaden public prosecutor’s office announced that, according to preliminary information, it has not received any criminal charges regarding Müger’s video. There are currently no investigations into this. In Thuringia and Saxony, where the AfD is classified as definitely right-wing extremist, it celebrated great successes in the state elections on Sunday.
dpa/jr
