Germany: Olaf Scholz denies an accusation of racism coming from the CDU

After the emotion and the massive manifestations aroused by the beginning of collaboration between the Christians- Democrats of the CDU and the far-right AFD party on a motion advocating a more strict migration policy, the political climate is particularly tense between the conservatives with SPD social democrats, before the anticipated legislative elections on February 23.

This is the moment chosen by the magazine Focus Online to accuse the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) of having made a racist comment on a black elected representative of the CDU Conservative Party. During a private exchange at a birthday evening in early February, the social democratic head of government addressed Joe Chialo by qualifying him twice as a “King’s Bouffon” of the opposition.

“Moral incapacity” of the Chancellor

Member of the CDU, Joe Chialo, whose family is of Tanzanian origin, occupies the position of senator – equivalent of a deputy mayor – of Berlin in charge of culture. The CDU rose to the niche against these “racist expressions” showing “that the outgoing chancellor lacks the moral aptitude necessary for his function”.

Main rival of Olaf Scholz and a big favorite of polls for the February 23 elections, the chief of the CDU Friedrich Merz said that these comments had left him “speechless”.

Olaf Scholz has not denied having made his words. “The term that I used in this context is not racily connoted in everyday use and I have never intentionally used it in this way,” he said, calling the accusation of ” absurd and artificially built, ”he said in a statement released on X.

Olaf Fulz and “Oneagé Une Action A Justice»

For Matthias Mirsch, the secretary general of the SPD, the magazine Focus Online de Place “deliberately the words of Olaf Scholz in a racist context”, denouncing an “unfounded attack” and a “targeted campaign work for the benefit of the CDU”. The chancellor “initiated legal action and called on the media lawyer Christian Schertz,” said Dominik Dicken, His spokesperson.