Culture Minister Criticizes Public Broadcasters as “Politically Inclined,” Warns Against Right-Wing โขAppropriation of National Symbols
BERLIN – โค germany’s โขMinister of Culture, Wolfram Weimer, has โขleveled โcriticism atโฃ the country’s public service broadcastingโ system, accusing it of political one-sidedness leaning to the โฃleft. He simultaneously condemned threats against journalists, citing the โrecent case of ZDF presenter Dunja Hayali as evidence โof aโค dangerously polarized public discourse.
“This is a sign ofโฃ how hazardous the polarized, poisoned public discourse is now. He puts journalists in danger,” weimer stated, according to German news agency KNA. “Everyโ reasonable politician in theโฃ political center โฃmust obtain attitude. And โwe all agree that this is to beโฃ sentenced.”
Weimer emphasized the importance of financially securing public broadcasting through license fees, but โargued itsโค current trajectory is alienating a important portion of the population. “The public service broadcastingโ has an acceptance problemโ becauseโ it has a politically inclined left. It is indeed not good โฃifโ many โฃmillions of germans haveโ to pay forced contributions, but they feel that they will notโ be represented โthere. โThat shouldโฃ change.”
Beyond the issue of public โbroadcasting, Weimer issued a stark โคwarning about a “cultural struggle” being โwaged by the far-right Choice for Germany (AfD) party. He urged the political center to actively defend national symbols and spaces from appropriationโข by right-wing extremists.
“The bourgeois center must comment, it must not reveal their rooms, their symbols, otherwise they occupy โothers,” Weimer cautioned, pointing toโ recent marches by โฃright-wing extremists at historically significant locations โขlike Hambacher Castle – aโ site of early german democracy – and โthe Hermannsdenkmal monument. “Or โthe Hermannsdenkmal. That doesn’t belong toโ the AfD. This is our Robin Hood โขand โnot its nationalist.”
Weimer also addressed โthe AfD’s rising support in eastern Germany, stating he doesn’t believe 30% of East โฃGermansโ genuinelyโ sympathize with neo-nationalist ideologies.He framed the situation as โขa broader โsocietal challenge, arguing, โ”I find it unfair toโฃ tell the East โGermans, theโ AfD topic is your problem.โค The entire society has โฃa โproblem here.” He stressed the โneed to “hold up the torch of the Enlightenment” โin the face of emerging authoritarianism, polarization, andโค social decay across the country.
Theโ minister’s comments come amid growing concernsโฃ about the strength of democratic institutions and the rise of extremist ideologies in Germany, 35 years after reunification. His call for a robust defence of nationalโ values and a more representative public broadcasting system reflects โคa broader effortโข to counter the AfD’s influence and safeguard Germany’s democratic foundations.