Was it a solid brawl or was it just a nod as a greeting? The fact is: Brandenburg’s AfD parliamentary group leader Kalbitz resigns, his party colleague is being treated in the hospital – and many questions remain.
By Martin Schmidt, ARD capital studio
“Well, he’s still a member of the parliamentary group,” comments an AfD MP from Brandenburg in a confidential phone call. The meeting of the group has just ended. Andreas Kalbitz has just announced his resignation from the post of group chairman. “But that’s okay for now,” says the MP, “he will definitely not be our boss anymore.”
There are some in Brandenburg who have been working towards getting rid of Kalbitz for a long time. For two hours that morning the parliamentary group had discussed whether Kalbitz should now completely give up the post that he had already abandoned. After other items on the agenda, it took another two hours in the early afternoon, then Kalbitz resigned. Even his previous advocates had refused to support him, it is said. Even his close confidante Birgit Bessin had questioned her deputy position. Kalbitz had become clear that the parliamentary group no longer wanted to follow him.
Fight or squabble?
Since yesterday there has only been one topic in AfD-internal forums – the trigger for the renewed personnel debate in Brandenburg: It’s about a greeting, a ruptured spleen and the question of what actually happened a week ago in the parliamentary group of the Brandenburg AfD .
The versions sound very different at first: Kalbitz is said to have beaten the parliamentary manager of the AfD parliamentary group, Dennis Hohloch, “ready for hospital”. This is spread by those who cannot stand Kalbitz. Hohloch is in hospital with a ruptured spleen, and has even been in intensive care.
“Friendly Knuff”
The Kalbitz-Lager contradicts: Sometimes there is talk of a “friendly nudge”, sometimes of “squabbling among men”, maybe “a small punch in the side”. But everything was in the best of moods. You also continued to work normally.
Only when Hohloch got pain did Kalbitz himself take him to the doctor. A “cyst on the spleen” was found there. In some stories it even sounds as if Kalbitz did Hohloch a favor, because otherwise the cyst would have gone undetected.
Hohloch himself speaks of a ruptured spleen
In the meantime, Hohloch himself has confirmed that, in his opinion, the incident was presented very well in a report by the editorial network Germany (RND). Accordingly, the MPs were just back from lunch and Hohloch was sitting in the office of a parliamentary colleague. Kalbitz opened the door and instead of greeting him, he punched Hohloch violently in the side in an uncontrolled manner.
A short time later, Hohloch complained of severe stomach pain. Doctors found internal injuries the following day. But Hohloch also writes on Facebook: “Yes, I’m currently still in the hospital with a ruptured spleen (no cyst or something similar).” So, not a fight (as Kalbitz opponents had claimed), but already a ruptured spleen (which the Kalbitz community had denied). So far so unclear. The story is probably far from over.
Mini-MeToo movement against Kalbitz
The Potsdam public prosecutor’s office has already started investigations against Kalbitz – because of the initial suspicion of negligent bodily harm. There does not have to be a complaint if there is initial suspicion, it is also determined on the basis of press reports.
And there is no peace in the party either. From the environment of the party leadership it is said that there now seems to be a kind of mini-MeToo movement against Kalbitz. Some expect that more Kalbitz failures could become public. Because suddenly there are many AfD members who want to talk in detail about the peculiarities of their party friends – almost all of them want to be assured that they can remain absolutely anonymous. It’s about alcohol consumption and Kalbitz’s aggressive manner – he has struck before.
“You’re party cancer boy”
Last year at a parliamentary group retreat, it should have been in the middle of the night, say members of the state parliament von Kalbitz. The employee of the AfD parliamentary group Kai Laubach also writes on Facebook: At the retreat, the then parliamentary group leader “punched Kevin in the face” because he wanted to “swing important speeches in the hotel lobby while drinking.”
Even more explosive is the part of his statement about the “welcome boxing blow” against Hohloch: “You almost negligently killed Dennis Hohloch”, writes Laubach. Subsequently, Kalbitz would have even described Hohloch as a “fragile wimp” instead of taking on his responsibility. Laubach ends his violently phrased settlement with Kalbitz with the words: “You are party cancer, boy.” Please go.
Urgent proceedings before the Berlin Regional Court
Go, that probably refers to the parliamentary group. Because Kalbitz is currently no longer a party member. The federal arbitration court confirmed a decision of the federal executive committee at the end of July: Kalbitz had not indicated previous memberships in right-wing extremist associations when he joined the AfD. Therefore, the AfD leadership canceled its membership.
But legally this dispute is not over yet. On Friday, Kalbitz wants to return to the AfD by means of an urgent procedure, negotiations will take place before the Berlin Regional Court. Political party lawyers expect Kalbitz to have good chances – so the incident with Hohloch came at an inopportune time. In the end he could get his membership back, but no longer the support of his party.
In the end, Meuthen benefits
Jörg Meuthen, who helped kick off Kalbitz’s expulsion in the spring, is already delighted: “The decision finally made today by Mr Kalbitz to finally resign from his position as parliamentary group leader in the Brandenburg parliamentary group is unavoidable and overdue in the light of the events,” says the AfD -Boss the ARD capital studio. His co-boss Tino Chrupalla is more cautious: “The step is consistent and correct in this situation.” Chrupalla had supported Kalbitz in the party power struggle to the end.
But it is Meuthen’s camp that is now winning another stage. “Now they are sweating each other out,” comments a high-ranking AfD member in one of their chat groups. It is an allusion to a controversial quote from Kalbitz’s closest confidante Björn Höcke. Even his future in the AfD is completely open without Kalbitz – even those who are well-disposed towards them emphasize. And so the heads of the right-wing extremist wing in the AfD should meet tomorrow in Schnellroda in Saxony-Anhalt to discuss their next steps, it is said from their environment.
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