Comedian Dieter Hallervorden, who is supporting the Saxony-Anhalt Prime Minister Sven Schulze (CDU) during the state election campaign, has revealed a political affinity for the Green Party. Previously, the long-time FDP sympathizer and prominent critic of “wokeness” had deemed the major established parties too individualistic. However, when asked by the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung” (FAS) whether the shrinking of traditional parties might open up new options, Hallervorden responded by noting that “given the constant climate catastrophes, the option tends toward the Green Party.”
Hallervorden’s appearances alongside Schulze have caused considerable buzz and irritation, even within the CDU, particularly because the comedian has repeatedly criticized Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), labeling him a war instigator. Hallervorden told the FAS that he “would definitely not be available as an election campaign supporter in today’s climate” for the federal CDU. He characterizes his current activity as purely tactical, stating that “the CDU in Saxony-Anhalt is the only party capable of preventing an AfD government by forming a coalition with the SPD and the Greens.”
Despite ideological similarities on certain policy issues, such as the war in Ukraine or the stance on wokeness, Hallervorden maintains a clear distance from the AfD. He told the FAS that the party subjects every issue to a central idea-that of “German identity.” He elaborated that this means the AfD implicitly reinterprets Article 1 of the Basic Law, leading to a concept that “The dignity of the German is inviolable.” Hallervorden clarified that he does not attribute labels of being “particularly valuable” to people based on their national origin, maintaining that all human beings are equal-and this fundamental difference in conviction is the gravest contrast with his position on the AfD.
Regarding his views on Israel, where he accuses the country of genocide in Gaza, when asked if he still has friends there, Hallervorden responded: “In the State of Israel? Yes. Among the Israeli politicians under Netanyahu? No. Anyone who has been indicted for genocide before the International Court of Justice since December 2023 has forfeited their claim to friendship.”
