
Disagreement on refugee policy: Horst Seehofer and Angela Merkel © Peter Kneffel
With critical statements towards Angela Merkel and her refugee policy, the CSU causes a stir. The CSU local association Viechtach does not want to accept this any further. Alois Pinzl talks about a corresponding position paper on our site interview.
Interviewer: They oppose "right-wing slogans" and "sharpening" in the ranks of the Christian Socialists and say quite clearly what, for example, is not acceptable at all, such as the infamous quote from CSU Secretary General Andreas Scheuer, who spoke about ministrating Senegalese playing soccer.
Alois Pinzl (acting chairman of the local CSU association in Viechtach): This is one of the statements that we from the local association did not like at all. But there are more statements where you definitely get the impression: It is very right-wing and we want to distance ourselves from right-wing populist statements quite clearly. This is exactly what we told the Bavarian Prime Minister Horst Seehofer.
Interviewer: Are there already reactions to it?
Pinzl: Yesterday I already had a telephone conversation with the Secretary General Andreas Scheuer. We have agreed that there should be a debate in December and we have said that we will not take back anything from our position paper. That is our opinion. There is also always a demand from the grassroots to speak out and we did that.
Interviewer: How long has this been going on that you no longer feel reasonably represented by certain gentlemen in the leadership team??
Pinzl: So first of all, we already feel satisfactorily represented. That doesn’t have so much to do with politics as it has to do primarily with statements in the refugee debate that are very populist. In our opinion, they have no place in this sensitive context.
Interviewer: As the CSU in Viechbach, do you have any experience in refugee policy?
Pinzl: We have several accommodations for refugees here in Viechbach. We have no problems with the people. Our population is very open to this. There are three members from my local executive committee who are very involved in integration policy on an honorary basis.
Interviewer: You are also annoyed by the constant criticism of the chancellor by leading CSU men. What would you like to see there?
Pinzl: I think when you have a partnership between CSU and CDU, you have to see eye-to-eye and you always have to be in partnership with a partner. This has to do with mutual respect, and we don’t think much of this ranting. Sensible politics can only be made with sensible togetherness.
Interviewer: What kind of party do you want the CSU to be in the future, or to become again??
Pinzl: We want our party to move away from the right. But I want to emphasize again clearly: We find the policy that the CSU is making here in Bavaria to be a good policy. What bothers us are the statements and if there are people somewhere who are very right-wing, let them switch to AfD. We don’t want to have right-wing radicals in our party.
The interview was conducted by Uta Vorbrodt.