As of: April 9, 2024, 7:43 a.m
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Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) speaks between the guests at the event. © Sascha Kopp/VRM Bild/dpa
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has expressed concern about reports of a Russian disinformation campaign and possible covert payments from Russia to an AfD politician. If you listen to what AfD representatives in the Bundestag and elsewhere said about questions of the European security order, it sounds “very similar” to the position of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Scholz on Monday evening at an event organized by the VRM publishing group in Mainz.
Mainz - “Now we are also hearing that some people are being accused of being financially dependent on it.”
The Chancellor continued that he could not judge whether that was true or not. “But it is something that should not be taken lightly.” Scholz was indirectly referring to the allegations against the AfD European election candidate Petr Bystron. The Czech newspaper “Denik N” had reported that the Bundestag member was suspected of having been in contact with the pro-Russian internet platform “Voice of Europe” (VoE), which the Prague cabinet had recently placed on the national sanctions list. He may also have accepted money.
Bystron, however, emphasizes that he has nothing to blame himself for. The AfD leadership is sticking by its European election candidate for the time being: “At this point in time, the federal executive board must assume that Mr. Bystron is innocent,” said party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla in a joint statement on Monday after deliberations by the AfD federal executive board. dpa