A minister close to Chancellor Angela Merkel has kicked off a divisive election-year debate about cultural identity - earning him praise, ridicule and charges of immigrant-bashing. Others have slammed the initiative as a grab for right-wing voters who threaten to drift off to the nationalist, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in September elections. In a double-page spread, de Maiziere outlined in ten points what he considers core elements of the German "Leitkultur", the guiding or dominant national culture. Retired teacher Gerda Felgner, 68, judged it "problematic", because "if you want to exclude someone, you define what Leitkultur is". Sandals with socksOn Twitter, outrage and mockery rained down on de Maiziere, garnished with memes of German sauerkraut and garden gnomes.

Source: The Local May 16, 2017 07:18 UTC