Criticism of De Maiziere paper
"An embarrassing production"


The 10-point catalog for a German leading culture by the Minister of the Interior de Maiziére is not a favorite. His proposal for rejection and annihilating comments is overwhelming. .

Federal Minister of the Interior, Thomas de Maizière, has received massive criticism for his ten-point catalog for a German leading culture. He had written in the "Bild am Sonntag" among other things: "I want to invite with some theses to a discussion about a leading culture for Germany." De Maizière has ten characteristics that are part of a leading German culture.

Christian Lindner, head of the FDP (free Democratic Party), said de Maizière's proposals as a distraction maneuver. "The CDU does not create a modern immigration policy with a legal basis," he said on the fringe of the FDP party in Berlin. The Minister of the Interior should better develop a template for an immigration law, which distinguishes between refugees on the one hand and permanent residence on the other. "I think our guiding culture should be the basic law, which is open to all," Lindner said in the ARD report of the FDP party congress and criticized: "This is again about religion."

Polenz: No legal basis

From the point of view of Greens Party leader Simone Peter, Germany does not need a debate about a leading culture, but "a new domestic policy that promotes integration, right-wing networks, and islamist threats." SPD-vice Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel called de Maizière's push on Twitter "an embarrassing staging".

The former CDU General Secretary, Ruprecht Polenz, spoke out of his own ranks. He criticized in a post for the "Huffington Post" that de Maizière in his list does not distinguish between obligatory law and non-binding tradition. According to Polenz, there is no legal basis for a mandatory guiding culture in the German constitution.

De Maizières: "We are not Burka"

In his theses, De Maizières mentions, among other things, social habits, such as the idea of giving a hand in Germany, showing his face and naming his name. "We are not Burka," de Maizière wrote. The leading culture also included general education, the idea of performance, the legacy of German history with its special relationship with Israel and cultural wealth.

According to de Maizière, Germany is a Christian-influenced, friendly, but globally neutral state. Criticism of the concept of leading culture was rejected by the Minister of the Interior. Strength and inner security of one's own culture lead to tolerance towards others.