The new leader of Germany's The Left party, Luigi Pantisano, has apologized for his remarks likening the policies of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to fascism, telling dpa his statement had been "shortened and wrong in that form."
"My statement that there is currently no difference between the policies of the CDU and the AfD was shortened and wrong in that form," Pantisano told dpa on Monday, referring to the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party.
"I apologize for that, in particular to those within the CDU who repeatedly stress the need for a clear firewall against the AfD," he said. The CDU, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, is the main conservative party in Germany's coalition government.
Pantisano added: "We must not blur the distinction between political opponents within the democratic spectrum and those who want to abolish democracy."
He nonetheless reaffirmed his "fundamental criticism of the rightward course" of the conservative bloc of the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), saying it was being pursued at the expense of many people in the country.
"My concern about a possible further political rapprochement between the CDU and the AfD also remains," Pantisano said. "This development worries me greatly."
Pantisano had sharply attacked the CDU in an interview with the mass-circulation Bild newspaper at the weekend, saying: "Ultimately, there is currently no difference between the CDU, which pursues fascist policies, the AfD, or the fascists themselves."
Several CDU/CSU politicians, including CDU Secretary General Carsten Linnemann, reacted with outrage.
There was also unease within The Left itself.
Pantisano had already clarified at the weekend that the wording had been unfortunate and shortened.
