The AfD, through its allegations of vote manipulation involving nursing homes, is facing heavy opposition. Thomas Rachel, a CDU Member of Parliament and the Federal Government Commissioner for Freedom of Religion and Belief, told the “Rheinische Post” (Friday edition) that the AfD’s labeling of nursing homes as engaging in fraud is “deeply reprehensible,” but added that “it fits into their system.”
Rachel criticized the AfD’s strategy, noting that the party merely asserts that irregularities might have occurred during voting, while consistently failing to produce any supporting evidence. He cautioned that this campaigning tactic, which undermines the confidence of voters, is likely the AfD’s primary objective. Rachel emphasized that these attacks are taking place even in Saxony-Anhalt, a state where only a portion of care facilities are affiliated with religious organizations. This latest incident is part of a broader pattern of attacks launched by the AfD against churches and related institutions.
Eva Welskop-Deffaa, President of Caritas, noted that some people in Eastern Germany feel “reminded of times before 1989.” She observed that during the Soviet era, the devoted community of church employees and Caritas institutions frequently faced hostility from the state.
