Canton president about the right-wing extremist connection of the SVP leader of Winterthur: “Business relations of party members are a private matter”

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Mariawegelin (44), chairman of the SVP Winterthur, hired Junge Tat for her election campaign for the National Council. This is evident from research by “SonntagsBlick”. Leaders of the right-wing extremist group, which is under the supervision of the intelligence service, do the media work for them. They produce the SVP politician’s promotional videos and manage some of her social media accounts.

Since the beginning of September, Wegelin, who made headlines across Switzerland as an opponent of the measures during the pandemic, has published several election campaign fragments. In it she rails against leftists, migrants and feminists.

The videos are produced by the head of Junge Tat, Manuel C* (23). He runs a small design company in Winterthur and has already been convicted by the public prosecutor for hatred of Jews. Another member, Tobias L.* (21), manages Wegelin’s profile on the short message service X (formerly Twitter).

Wegelin at the diving station

The two know how to mobilize: thanks to Instagram-friendly campaigns and professionally produced propaganda videos, the group has thousands of followers online.

Wegenin did not comment on the investigation and could not be reached for comment on Sunday. Instead, she simply posted on social media: “Our freedom of speech is in danger. The healthy democratic discourse is increasingly being trampled.”

The canton party spoke out in favor of this. “The SVP Canton Zurich distances itself from any extremism,” says Domenik Ledergerber, President SVP Canton Zurich, Blick. And yet he sees no need for action when a candidate for the National Council outsources her media work to Junge Tat.

The party is responsible for political content, not for private matters. “The selection of business associates of party members is a private matter,” Ledergerber said. SVP Winterthur followed suit in the evening and wrote that the party was not aware of politically problematic statements by Wegelin.

Political competition requires resignation

The political competition sees it differently. She called for Wegenin’s resignation on Sunday. In an Instagram post, the Alternative List (AL) Winterthur writes that Mariawegelin must immediately resign from all her political positions.

Wegenin does not simply dip her toe into the brown swamp, like many of her fellow party members. She swims in the middle and directly supports right-wing extremist networks with SVP campaign funds. “Wegelin clearly shows her sympathy for right-wing extremist and anti-democratic ideologies!”

The left-wing alternative party further demanded that all parties take a clear position against the SVP and make their work in the city parliament impossible if they hold on to their right-wing extremist party chairman. (oco)

Source:Blick