Bahlsen chief rejects AfD, urges German companies to take a stand
17.05.2026
Photo: Michael Matthey/dpa
Alexander Kühnen, chief executive of Bahlsen, one of Germany’s best-known biscuit makers, has called on companies to take a clear stand in support of democracy and said the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) is not a viable option for the country.
Referring to the company’s values, Kühnen said: “When I look at which parties represent these values, they are the democratic parties. And there are clear limits. Positions such as 'remigration' are not acceptable to us.”
Remigration is a term used by far-right extremists to refer to the deportation of large numbers of people of foreign origin from Germany, including by force.
Kühnen also justified his opposition to the nationalist populist party on economic grounds.
“We need skilled workers, we need open trade in Europe, we need stable economic conditions,” Kühnen said in comments issued on Sunday. “Against this backdrop, the AfD is not an option for me — neither from a business perspective nor personally.”
The relationship between businesses and the AfD, which has been gaining ground in opinion polls and is expected to perform strongly in regional elections in September, has been a subject of debate for some time.
For instance, in October, the Association of Family Businesses invited AfD representatives to an event for the first time. Following strong criticism from politicians and business leaders, as well as the withdrawal of prominent member companies, the association later reversed its position, with its president Marie-Christine Ostermann calling the move a mistake.
Kühnen, for his part, stressed that isolationist ideas do not fit with the Hanover-based family business, the maker of the Leibniz biscuits and popular cookies.
'If I think in purely national terms — believing that only certain nationalities should work here — then that simply does not fit with who we are."
He urged other German companies to show leadership.
“I strongly believe in democracy and that we have a responsibility to defend it,” Kühnen said. “As business leaders, we bear responsibility — and a great deal of it.” He added that people in such positions should make greater use of their influence “for a good cause,” including protecting democracy.
No comments:
Post a Comment