Parole Transparenz #2

Guest: Marcus Bensmann
Concept & moderation: Ralph Hammerthaler

When right-wing extremists and those flirting with right-wing extremism met not far from Potsdam, just under a year ago in the Landhaus Adlon, they wanted to keep to themselves to discuss a master plan that envisaged nothing less than the expulsion of millions of people with a migrant background: Asylum seekers, foreigners with the right to stay and even citizens. The fact that they did not remain among themselves is thanks to the Correctiv editorial team, which blew the whistle on the meeting and provided the public with hijacked information. As a result, hundreds of thousands took to the streets in cities large and small to protest against the unconstitutional demand for ‘remigration’. Based on the research, a play was created that has been presented as a staged reading in countless theatres, including the Theater an der Ruhr.
In an interview with the writer Ralph Hammerthaler, Correctiv editor Marcus Bensmann provides information about the Potsdam coup, its preparation, realisation and outcome. In the second instalment of our series ‘Transparency as a watchword’, investigative journalism comes into the spotlight (as well as the sometimes risky life of an investigative journalist). For many years, Bensmann uncovered abuse of power and corruption in Central Asia, the Caucasus, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq, as well as the involvement of the German government and the EU with despots. This year, his books ‘Niemand kann sagen, er hätte es nicht gewusst. Die ungeheuerlichen Pläne der AfD’ and, with Jean Peters, ’Der AfD-Komplex. Research by Correctiv’ were published.