The attitude of the young Hubert Aiwanger is in question. A media report now suggests that the CSU leadership has known about allegations from his school days for a long time.
In the CSU there were apparently already discussions 15 years ago about the attitude of today’s Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger (free voters) – and ideas about how to use them politically. The “Spiegel” reports, citing correspondence from both parties.
In October 2008, at a class reunion of a high school senior from the Burkhart-Gymnasium in Mallersdorf-Pfaffenberg – Aiwanger’s former school – an employee of the CSU said that one “urgently had to get Hubert Aiwanger’s school file” in order to compare it with the information contained therein content “to get ready politically”.
A functionary of the Free Voters, who was also present in the tavern, allegedly documented what was said, the report is said to be available to the “Spiegel”. Aiwanger confirmed to the newspaper that he had been informed about alleged research by the CSU employee about his school days.
Aiwanger: I asked “if I was being investigated”
“I then made an appointment with the then Prime Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU, editor’s note),” said Aiwanger. “At this appointment between Horst Seehofer and I I asked if I would be investigated.”
As early as 2008, the CSU employee concerned, according to “Spiegel”, denied allegations by the Free Voters and swore under oath that he “never made any inquiries about Aiwanger” or tried “to gain insight into his school files”.
In a recent statement, the CSU leadership denies that it is aware of the process. There are also no files on it. Ex-CSU boss Seehofer, however, explained that he could not rule out that Aiwanger had said at the time that “an unspeakable campaign was being waged against him”. However, he cannot remember having given an order or having received “reliable information” about Aiwanger that came close to the current allegations.
Hitler salute and Hitler’s “Mein Kampf”
On Saturday, the Free Voters boss denied having written an anti-Semitic leaflet as a student that the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” had reported on. At the same time, however, he admitted that “one or a few copies” were found in his school bag.
In the meantime, there are new allegations against Aiwanger: According to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” and Bayerischer Rundfunk, former classmates report, among other things, that Aiwanger used to give the Hitler salute and often had Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” in his pocket.
Aiwanger then declared on Tuesday afternoon that he had been “since adulthood, the last few decades: not an anti-Semite, not a right-wing extremist, but a philanthropist”.
