Overview

• Klöckner attended a CDU summer reception in Koblenz on August 17 at CompuGroup Medical’s Innovationszentrum at the invitation of her local CDU Kreisverband.
• Photos of her shaking financier Frank Gotthardt’s hand and a small protest at the venue raised fresh questions about her neutrality as Bundestag president.
• In her speech she defended freedom of opinion and argued that Nius and the left-leaning taz employ similar methods, drawing sharp rebukes from SPD and Green politicians.
• Opposition figures and members of her own coalition demanded explanations over mainstream parties’ ties to financiers of a right-wing, polarizing media platform.
• The CDU and Klöckner’s office insist she merely followed a party invitation without shaping event details, and Gotthardt has declined public comment.