With AfD eyeing power in Saxony-Anhalt, East commissioner seeks "shield" for civil society
Elisabeth Kaiser (SPD) says pro-democracy groups in eastern Germany are under "massive pressure." She will host 24 of their representatives with Vice Chancellor Klingbeil on Monday.
Archive image · Photo: photothek.net / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (cropped and resized)
The German government's commissioner for eastern Germany, Elisabeth Kaiser (SPD), called for a "protective shield" for civil society in the east, citing the possibility of an AfD-led government in Saxony-Anhalt. "The defenders of democracy in the east are under massive pressure," she told the RND media network. "They are to be silenced and blocked by having their funding cut."
The groups are "the glue that holds our society together," Kaiser said, adding that the federal government must stand firmly by them in difficult times. She said she was pushing to secure funding for democracy infrastructure in eastern Germany.
On Monday, Kaiser has invited 24 representatives of eastern German civil society to an expert meeting, also attended by Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil (SPD), whose ministry houses her office. The talks will cover the current situation and suitable funding tools.