Manfred Pentz's Journey to Serbia and Croatia - AfD Parallel Adventure
European Minister Pentz Visits Serbia Unexpectedly, Also Meets with Alternative for Germany Party (AfD) - Parliament in Europe seeks approval for the report.
Here's the scoop:
After getting bounced from an AfD election, Hessian Europa-Minister Manfred Pentz is jetting off to Serbia and Croatia starting Tuesday.Why Serbia, you ask? Because that country's a key partner for Germany and Hesse in the Balkans, as old CDU chap Pentz explained before his departure.
But here's where the story gets juicy – you guessed it, two AfD state parliamentarians, Anna Nguyen and Christian Rohde, took matters into their own hands and hopped on a plane to Serbia, all unofficially, of course!
Pentz's keen on keeping Serbia on track to the EU. He boldly proclaimed, "Europe needs a strong, unified front, and I personally believe Serbia has a place there." His mission: to bolster bilateral ties and rally for that important approach.
Speaking of the AfD, they've cooked up their own travel itinerary, including sit-downs with political bigwigs and some media appearances across both countries. Robert Lambrou, parliamentary group leader for the AfD, said, "We're stoked that we can now bring the whole democratic spectrum of Hesse on this trip."
The AfD's action's stirred things up even before Pentz embarked on his journey, following their labeling as a securely right-wing extremist party by some authorities. Pentz decided not to invite any AfD leaders along on his official global excursions. As for his reasoning, "I can't expect foreign negotiating partners to rub shoulders with representatives of a securely right-wing extremist party," he tells the German Press Agency.
Don't worry; we've got a few tidbits to help flesh out this situation:
- Exclusion from Official Trips: Politicians within the AfD might face restrictions on joining official activities due to conflicting political philosophies and policies with the ruling parties in regions like Hesse. The AfD's far-right and Eurosceptic stance can cause tension with other political groups.
- Separate Visit Plans: If AfD politicians are shunned from official trips, they might arrange their own visits to sustain diplomatic relationships or further party interests. For trips to Serbia and Croatia, they might be looking to form connections based on shared political or economic views. Both countries have significant political and economic ties with the EU, making their connections with EU members or foreign parties crucial.
- Possible Motivations: The motivations driving such visits could involve promoting trade, discussing immigration policies, or collaborating with politically aligned groups. Given the AfD's anti-immigration stance and Euroscepticism, they might be seeking connections in countries with similar political inclinations.
As of now, there haven't been any recent developments or announcements specific to these visits. However, you can keep an eye on news updates and official statements from the AfD or Hesse's political contingents for more details as things unfold. Rock on! 🤘💥
- Despite being excluded from Manfred Pentz's official trip to Serbia and Croatia due to their extremist label, the two AfD state parliamentarians, Anna Nguyen and Christian Rohde, have opted for an unofficial visit.
- This separate visit might be an attempt by the AfD to maintain diplomatic relations or further their party interests, as both Serbia and Croatia have significant ties with the EU.
- The AfD's visit could potentially involve discussions on trade, border control, and immigration policies, given their Eurosceptic stance and anti-immigration rhetoric.
- pending further announcements or developments, it remains to be seen how the common foreign and security policy of the EC countries will be affected by these parallel visits.
