BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – AfD co-chair Tino Chrupalla rejects allegations of spying for Russia by members of his party. In the ZDF program “Berlin Direkt”, Chrupalla described the suspicion expressed by Thuringia’s Interior Minister Georg Maier (SPD) that the AfD could abuse its parliamentary right to ask questions in the interests of Russia as “bottomless impudence”. The minister should then also put evidence on the table – but he cannot do that. When asked whether espionage, regardless of party, would be considered treason, Chrupalla answered “absolutely.”
“The Kremlin doesn’t need us to find out such details. That’s really ridiculous,” emphasized the AfD leader. He spoke of a campaign by the Union and SPD to portray the AfD as agents of Russia. “It won’t work,” Chrupalla said.
Spahn denies AfD patriotism
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt had previously expressed understanding for allegations of espionage against the AfD. “The AfD openly shows its closeness to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and behaves like a German Putin party,” the CSU politician told the “Handelsblatt”.
Union parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn made similar comments in the evening. “Mr Putin would vote for AfD. The AfD is a Russia party here in Germany,” said the CDU politician on the ARD program “Report from Berlin”. Spahn added: “And that’s not patriotism, traveling for another country. Standing up for your own country is true patriotism.”/shy/DP/he