Religious institution. - Diakonie's leader refuses to hire dedicated AfD supporters.
Diakonie Germany's President Rüdiger Schuch has made it clear that he has no tolerance for employees who support the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. "Anyone who chooses to vote for the AfD out of conviction is not suitable to work in the Diakonie," Schuch told the Funke Media Group (Tuesday). Schuch argued that such individuals go against the Christian idea of humanity.
Diakonie Deutschland is one of the largest employers in the country, employing over 627,000 people, with many of the institutions it supports being classified as "tendency companies," giving them more freedom over their employees. The two major Christian churches have publicly distanced themselves from the AfD.
Schuch stated that rather than testing the conviction of employees, a conversation should be initiated, making it clear that there is no room for dehumanizing beliefs in Diakonie institutions. However, he added that if the individual's actions or comments create a noticeable conflict in the workplace, the issue would need to be examined under labor law.
Schuch added that this policy does not only apply to AfD supporters, but to anyone who goes against the Diakonie's values, whether they are right-wing, left-wing or religious extremists.
Schuch noted his satisfaction with the AfD's involvement in Diakonie's newly introduced election support portal for European elections, "Sozial-O-Mat." This online resource, similar to the "Wahl-O-Mat," allows users to compare their own political stances against those of the parties in regards to social policies such as minimum wage and social welfare.
The AfD fiercely reacted to these remarks, with party spokesperson Nicole Höchst branding Schuch's comments a "modern witch hunt against the AfD." She labeled them both unchristian and misanthropic. Höchst also questioned Diakonie's adherence to Article 4 of the German Constitution, which protects citizens from political discrimination.
The Lutheran Bishops' Conference had previously expressed concerns over the AfD, declaring that anyone who supports the party "goes against Christian understanding of humanity." Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops' Conference noted that ethnic nationalism contradicts the Christian image of God and man.
The German Catholic Caritas Association, with almost 696,000 employees in its social institutions, is currently in the process of determining the legal implications of its position. The association firmly rejects "extremist, fundamentalist, racist, anti-Semitic, anti-democratic, nationalist, and xenophobic" stances.
The "Basic Order of Church Service," which regulates labor law in the Catholic Church, also explicitly states the rejection of anti-clerical views. A working group is currently discussing specific labor law issues as a result of this stance.
Schuch encouraged German employers to motivate their employees to vote, emphasizing the importance of maintaining an open society. He acknowledged that democracy cannot be taken for granted and asserted, "Every company in Germany must therefore evaluate its stance and ask itself whether it is doing enough to preserve an open society."
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Source: www.stern.de
