Parteien: Klaus Ernst droht BSW bei AfD-Zusammenarbeit mit Austritt

Augsburg - Klaus Ernst, a member of the BSW (German trade union federation), has threatened to leave the union if his party does not clarify its relationship with the AfD (Alternative for Germany party). Ernst, a co-leader of the BSW in Bavaria, demands a clear demarcation. He expressed concern in the "Augsburger Allgemeine" newspaper about the "quietly shifting course of the BSW to the right," which he believes contradicts the founding consensus of the party.

Ernst, who is also a member of the BSW's federal executive committee, questioned his continued membership in the union, stating, "Many members with a union background are wondering if they are in the right party."

Ernst emphasized that tolerating the AfD's problematic behavior has never been decided by the BSW's federal board. He added that his membership in the BSW would depend on clarifying its relationship with the AfD. The BSW should not allow the AfD "to place members in offices and responsibilities if it can be avoided," Ernst stated.

Recently, the BSW supported the election of Tobias Rausch as the first AfD Landtagspräsident (state parliament president) in Saxony-Anhalt, a move announced beforehand by the BSW. The union had also announced it would vote for the AfD member in that election. Additionally, BSW politicians attended a celebration of the right-leaning magazine Compact in Magdeburg, which included AfD politicians.

Ernst expressed his disbelief in the Augsburger Allgemeine, saying, "I can no longer explain why the BSW faction meets in the spaces of the right-wing magazine Compact, and this goes far beyond simply agreeing to proposals."