Czech Minister Criticizes AfD MEP over Sudeten German Remarks

Comments by Alternative for Germany (AfD) MEP Martina Kempf on the post-war expulsion of Sudeten Germans have drawn a sharp response in the Czech Republic.

Kempf said Prague should acknowledge that the expulsion of Germans after World War II was an injustice, arguing that such a gesture would help reconciliation between the two nations, according to the Echo24 news portal.

Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka responded that Kempf should not comment on history without understanding the broader context. He specifically referred to the 1938 Munich Agreement, after which Nazi Germany annexed the Czechoslovak border regions.

The issue has resurfaced ahead of a May congress of Sudeten Germans in Brno, which has faced criticism from parts of the Czech political scene.

The governing coalition of ANO, SPD and Motorists is seeking to pass a resolution opposing the event being held in the Czech Republic. Organisers of the Meeting Brno festival and Sudeten German representatives, however, insist the gathering will proceed.

(mja)