Letter and e-mail sent: CDU is serious about excluding Maassen from the party

Because of right-wing populist statements, the former head of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Maassen, has come under increasing criticism. Most recently, the CDU leadership called for the politician to leave the party. He only wants to deal with it when he sees the “request on the desk”. The CDU leadership is now following up with letters and e-mails.

According to a report, the CDU has now also written its request to resign to the former President of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Hans-Georg Maassen. A letter and an identical email were sent to Maaßen on Tuesday, the “Rheinische Post” reported, citing party circles. According to a decision by the Presidium, he was asked to leave the CDU by Sunday.

According to Maassen, he had only heard about the party leadership’s request to leave from the media. “I haven’t received anything from the CDU so far,” Maassen said on Deutschlandfunk on Tuesday. “I checked my inbox and mailbox yesterday, including my email inboxes. I didn’t get anything.”

According to the report, if Maassen does not comply with the request from the party leadership, he should comment on the allegations against him by February 9th. On February 13, the CDU presidium wants to deal with the matter again. Maassen had previously complained that he had not received an official letter from the CDU leadership. The party presidium decided on Monday to set a deadline for him to leave the party. If he does not leave the CDU by Sunday noon, his membership rights would be withdrawn immediately and a party exclusion procedure would be initiated, the party said.

Maassen has repeatedly caused a stir with right-wing populist statements for several years. Most recently, in an interview with a right-wing populist Internet portal, he claimed that “according to the green-red racial theory” whites are “an inferior race”. From 2012 to 2018 Maassen was President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. He had to vacate the post after questioning right-wing extremist riots in Chemnitz.