Germany’s far right fights over lawmaker who teaches music at Moscow academy: POLITICO

Moosdorf’s outcry exposes divergent positions within the AfD on Russia, where some senior officials have been critical, while other pro-Russians have backed the parliamentarian.

“Music knows no ideological boundaries,” Moosdorf wrote on Facebook, adding that accepting the chair is “a sign of understanding.”

“I want to give the young people there (in Russia) the feeling that they are not left behind in Europe,” Moosdorf said. He added that he spent three days in Moscow in September to give an inaugural lecture and plans to return several days each term to teach chamber music.

Moosdorf’s commitment to the school, however, has caught the attention of the leadership of the AfD’s parliamentary group, which discussed the matter on Monday.

“Russians are among the world leaders when it comes to classical music … however, this also has a political component,” said Bernd Baumann, a member of the parliamentary group commission, adding that a chair in Russia must be judged differently than “. a chair abroad.”

“We see a problem here and discussions are going in that direction,” Baumann said.

Party co-leader Alice Weidel’s office told POLITICO that no one was enthusiastic about the chair.

According to information from the German channel t-media, the group banned Moosdorf from participating in two planned trips: one to Japan and another to Qatar, while also advising him to resign from his chair. A person in AfD party circles familiar with the case confirmed this to POLITICO, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter.

But not everyone shares the leadership’s critical stance.

The leader of the AfD in Saxony, Jörg Urban, congratulated Moosdorf on his new job.

“I’m glad that our AfD has peace ambassadors like you. Russia is not our enemy. Russians are not our enemies. We need a normal relationship with Russia again. And music is a beautiful bridge of friendship “, he wrote in a Facebook post.

German AfD MEP Arno Bausemer also expressed his support for Moosdorf.

“Matthias Moosdorf is a world-renowned musician. As a member of the European Parliament and Germany AfD, I am very happy that there are politicians like Mr. Moosdorf who have a life alongside their political activities and who share their cultural capacities to support people in other countries. It is far better to deliver music books to Russia than to deliver weapons to Ukraine,” Bausemer wrote in a statement shared with POLITICO.

The Russia-friendly party has been rocked by multiple scandals linked to Moscow (and Beijing), including one in which some of its top members were linked to the spread of pro-Russian propaganda.

Allegations of espionage and corruption have not fatally damaged the AfD, however. The party came second in the European Union elections in Germany, then won a historic victory in the state elections in Thuringia.

Pauline von Pezold and Nette Nöstlinger contributed to this report.