Seehofer defends display threat against “taz” author as a success

Updated June 27, 2020, 11:38 a.m.

First Horst Seehofer announced that he would take legal action against what he considered the “unspeakable” column of a “taz” author, and then refrained from filing a criminal complaint. For many, the interior minister scored an own goal, but Seehofer sees the “main goal” of his reporting threat fulfilled.

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After giving up one complaint against an author of the daily newspaper “taz“has federal interior minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) defended its approach. His “main goal” was that there was a public debate about the “unspeakable article” in the “taz”, Seehofer told the “Augsburger Allgemeine” on Saturday.

“I have never read an article in my entire political life with such inhuman language towards police officers,” said Seehofer.

Freedom of expression and the press also had its limits in democracy. Nobody has the right to belittle other people, no matter which group they belong to, with inhuman language. “I remain convinced that this article fulfills criminal offenses. The investigative authorities are now responsible for investigating this.”

Seehofer: Police need political backing

For the police, political backing is of paramount importance. “That is also the background to my engagement with the ‘taz’,” said Seehofer. “We owe a large part of the fact that we live in a stable rule of law to the police,” he emphasized. “She is a friend and helper, not an enemy.”

Seehofer warned of a worrying development: “The recent events in Stuttgart and Göttingen in particular show that the respect for the police is no longer as great as that required for a democratic constitutional state and that a small part of the population is the police almost regarded as an enemy, “warned the Interior Minister. “That applies to extremism – right and left.”

He also criticized growing attacks against rescue workers and firefighters and an increasing disrespect for employees of authorities and local politicians. “Only a hard hand and a strong state can help to end this bad development,” said Seehofer. “I really hope for the support of the population.”

At the same time, the Interior Minister rejected speculation that the Chancellor had put pressure on him in the debate about his threatened criminal complaint. “I have to smile,” said Seehofer. “Such speculations are part of the merchandise in Berlin. Just so much: my relationship with Angela Merkel is very, very good.” (jwo / afp)
© AFP