German Industry Chief Says Far-Right AfD Will Hurt Country's Economy
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party's xenophobic and anti-business rhetoric will exacerbate the existing shortage of skilled labor and severely damage the country's economy, the president of the Federation of German Industries (BDI) said.
In an interview published on Thursday with Die Welt newspaper, Siegfried Russwurm also sharply attacked Bjorn Hocke, the AfD's leader and top candidate in the state of Thuringia, where voters go to the polls on Sunday. There is also an election in neighboring Saxony on the same day. Both states are in the former east Germany, DPA reported.
Hocke had attacked companies supporting the "Made in Germany - Made by Diversity" initiative and wished those firms economic harm.
Russwarm said such statements showed the AfD's incompetence and are alarming for the economy.
"The AfD's participation in government would massively damage the economy and prosperity in eastern Germany," he said.
