In the ARD summer interview, AfD boss Tino Chrupalla follows the typical strategy of ignoring uncomfortable questions.
Frankfurt am Main – “The press and public relations work is characterized by an interplay of provocative, right-wing populist and right-wing extremist theses and a subsequent relativization or denial”: an excerpt from the constitutional protection report on the AfD. Its chairman Tino Chrupalla was allowed to show at the ARD summer interview whether he has mastered this strategy. And he does.
His counterpart Matthias Deiss probably believed that he had to ask as many questions as possible in the short time (not much more than 20 minutes). This made the conversation a bit hectic, especially since Deiß tried to interrupt the politician from time to time.
ARD summer interview with Tino Chrupalla: AfD boss with known positions
When he didn’t, however, Chrupalla used the opportunity to put himself in the right light by trying to portray the actions of the AfD as “nothing extraordinary”, for example the visit to Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov. The AfD boss studiously ignored Deiss’s question as to whether he had personally informed Putin’s friend of his condemnation of the attack on Ukraine.
The positions taken by Chrupalla in the interview were known. He criticized the economic sanctions as “absolutely out of place” and asserted that he represented Germany’s interests – but ignored the result of a survey according to which around 70 percent of Germans are in favor of supporting Ukraine. That will change in winter.
AfD boss Tino Chrupalla in an ARD interview: the Ukraine conflict is about the interests of Europe and the USA
Typical of the evasion tactic was Chrupalla’s reaction to the frequently asked question of how Vladimir Putin could be persuaded to negotiate if he refused. The AfD man then: “The Americans also refuse.” The conflict is about the interests of Europe and the USA, was his reason for not accepting Ukraine as an equal negotiating partner in the first place.
At that point, Chrupalla’s assertion that everything had to be done to end the war on a diplomatic level seemed lopsided. Accordingly, Deiß received no answer to his question at which point in the AfD concept Putin should be persuaded to make concessions. Instead, Chrupalla speculated that the situation would change in winter when heating costs would rise.
After all, the superfluous short question and answer session brought to light that the politician does not know any national football players, that there are only two genders for him, and that he finds the Herrenwitz song “Layla” “interesting”.
You can watch the interview for yourself here
ARD summer interview, from Sunday, July 17, 6 p.m. Online: www.tagesschau.de
Tino Chrupalla (AfD) in the ARD summer interview: No unemployment benefits for Ukrainians
The fact that the AfD’s xenophobic stance hasn’t changed is indicated by the fact that its chairman only wants to grant unemployment benefits to Ukrainian people seeking protection if they’ve paid into unemployment insurance.
But how long will Tino Chrupalla stay at the top of the torn right-wing party anyway? For the fascist and “wing” celebrity Björn Höcke, he is “put to the test” for the next two years in office. Deiss had previously asked how he would ever want to step out of the shadow of Alice Weidel and Björn Höcke. And Tino Chrupalla once answered openly and honestly: “That’s what I’m here for today.” (Daland Segler)
