German Neo-Nazi handed life sentence for 2019 murder of politician 1 minute read
Berlin, Jan 28 (efe-epa).- A Frankfurt court on Thursday sentenced Neo-Nazi Stephan Ernst to life in prison for the 2019 murder of conservative politician Walter Lübcke in what was the first political murder trial in Germany since the 1970s.
Lübcke was a member of Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party and a regional governor in the federal state of Hesse at the time of his murder in June 2019.
He had become a hate figure in German far-right circles due to his defense of the government’s open refugee policy.
Opinion: Verdict in Lübcke case encourages Germany s far-right scene
The man who assassinated regional politician Walter Lübcke will spend his life in jail. However, the acquittal of his accomplice sends the wrong signal to Germany s far-right scene, says DW s Hans Pfeifer.
Demonstrators showed support for Lübcke and diversity in front of the courthouse ahead of the verdict
On a Sunday evening in September 2017, Walter Lübcke was still alive. The district president of the Kassel region, a politician with Angela Merkel s conservative Christian Democratic Union, was working out how to integrate tens of thousands of refugees into German society. He agreed with the chancellor s approach and her optimistic phrase: We can do this!
The battle to become Germany’s next chancellor has moved into its final stages with the election of Armin Laschet as leader of Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU).Mr Laschet easily won by
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas' remarks contrast with the rest of Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet. Officials oppose easing restrictions for those who have been vaccinated, fearing it will lead to inequalities in society.
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas' remarks contrast with the rest of Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet. Officials oppose easing restrictions for those who have been vaccinated, fearing it will lead to inequalities in society.