Germany: CDU’s Peter Kurth resigns after neo-Nazi links revealed

CDU politician Peter Kurth stepped down from his post as interior minister of Saxony on Wednesday after it emerged he had attended a far-right event

The Christian Democrat was photographed alongside neo-Nazis and members of a banned far-right group, Pegida

Kurth, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), resigned after the photographs emerged in the German media on Wednesday. He had been interior minister of Saxony since 2017.

In a statement, Kurth said he regretted attending the event and that he had “made a mistake.” He said he had not intended to support the far-right and that he condemned their views.

The photographs showed Kurth attending a rally in the eastern German city of Chemnitz in 2018. The rally was organized by Pegida, a far-right group that has been linked to violence and racism.

Kurth was photographed alongside neo-Nazis and other far-right activists at the rally. He was also seen giving a speech in which he praised the work of the police.

The photographs have caused outrage in Germany, with many politicians calling for Kurth to resign. The leader of the CDU in Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, said that Kurth’s resignation was “the right decision.”

The scandal is a blow to Merkel’s CDU, which has been trying to distance itself from the far-right. The party has been losing support to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in recent years.

The AfD has been gaining support in eastern Germany, where Kurth was interior minister. The party has exploited concerns about immigration and the economy to win over voters.

Kurth’s resignation is a sign of the growing influence of the far-right in Germany. The AfD is now the second-largest party in the Bundestag, the German parliament.

The far-right is also gaining strength in other European countries. In France, the National Rally party, led by Marine Le Pen, is the largest party in the European Parliament. In Italy, the League party, led by Matteo Salvini, is the largest party in the Italian parliament.

The rise of the far-right is a worrying trend for Europe. The far-right is often associated with racism, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism. The far-right is also a threat to democracy.

The far-right is exploiting fears and anxieties to win over voters. The far-right is offering simple solutions to complex problems. The far-right is a threat to our democracy.