Entrepreneur Theo Müller confirms AfD contacts
Theo Müller, head of the dairy company of the same name, is said to have had contact with the NPD years ago. He vehemently rejects this. However, he has no problems with another right-of-center party. He now confirms meetings with AfD leader Weidel.
According to a media report, dairy entrepreneur Theo Müller has confirmed contact with the AfD for the first time. Müller admitted to the Handelsblatt newspaper on Thursday that he had met AfD leader Alice Weidel a few weeks ago at a private dinner in a luxury restaurant in Cannes, France. According to the newspaper, a spokesperson for Weidel also confirmed the meeting.
Müller also told Handelsblatt that it was not the first meeting. Another meeting with the AfD politician is also planned for the end of the year. "During the talks with Dr. Weidel, I was interested in the AfD's programme and her personal views on current politics," Müller told the newspaper. During the exchange, he found "not the slightest indication" that would suggest a Nazi ideology. That would be "an absolute no-go" for him.
Müller also said that he does not support the AfD with donations, either personally or at company level. According to the newspaper, a spokesperson for Weidel also said that the party had not received any donations from Müller or his entourage. The meeting between Müller and Weidel was of a "purely private nature". The AfD is being monitored by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution in several federal states; in Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, the party is classified as right-wing extremist.
Müller was said to be close to the NPD
Critics accuse Müller of being close to the far right, writes the Handelsblatt. Rumors are circulating on the Internet that he has financially supported the far-right party NPD. Müller and his group of companies have repeatedly and vehemently denied this accusation.
Müller, who has lived in Switzerland for a long time, is one of the wealthiest dairy entrepreneurs. He transformed a village dairy with four employees, which he took over from his father in 1971, into an international group - now with over 32,000 employees and a turnover of 8.8 billion euros. The group is based in Luxembourg. It owns brands such as Müllermilch, Molkerei Weihenstephan and Landliebe.
Müller's confirmation of meetings with AfD leader Alice Weidel has sparked controversy, given the AfD's controversial past and current classification in some federal states. Despite this, Müller emphasized that his discussions with Weidel did not reveal any Nazi ideology.
The reported meeting between Müller and Weidel, along with his denial of financial support to the far-right NPD, further complicates the perception of Müller's relationship with right-wing political parties.
Source: www.ntv.de
