A candidate for the legislative elections in eastern Luxembourg resigned from the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (adr) after fascist imagery unearthed on social media.
Alain Vossen resigned as candiate for the adr on Monday evening after the posts sparked public outrage. He has been replaced by Jean-Marc Schmidt.
The satirical Facebook page DAR - Dëlpessen vun Ausse-Riets ("Idiots from the Far-Right") had set the ball rolling in the first place by sharing posts from Vossen's Facebook profile, some of which were over eight years old. In these posts, Vossen can be seen wearing T-shirts featuring "SS" written in runic script. The "SS", which stands for Schutzstaffel ("Protection Squadron"), was a paramilitary organisation directly loyal to Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany.
DAR describes itself as a site that wants to shed light, in a satirical but also serious way, on the underlying implications of far-right ideologies. The page relies on its own research as well as contributions from followers and fans.
Upon scrutinising the Facebook and other social media profiles of various adr candidates, DAR quickly discovered Vossen's posts, including the "SS" imagery and various fascist memes, which until recently were still up on his profile.
However, when the admin of DAR shared the post to draw attention to it, the page was blocked for two months. The satirical page accuses Facebook of failing to distinguish between fascism and anti-fascist criticism, leading DAR to file a complaint with the platform's Oversight Board.
A press release by the adr asserted that the photos had been manipulated using Photoshop and taken out of context. However, DAR challenges this claim, stating that the screenshots are authentic and were obtained from Vossen's former Facebook profile, which has since been deleted.
When questioned about the manipulations, the eastern section of the adr admitted that it was unable to explain exactly how and which part of the posts had been manipulated, but assured that the ex-candidate had given a "credible explanation" to the party. Meanwhile, Vossen has yet to address the issue himself.
In another photo posted on Vossen's account, he can be seen wearing a T-shirt featuring the logo of the Nazi rock band "Screwdriver." Known for their deeply racist lyrics and calls for violence, "Screwdriver" is associated with the right-wing radical network "Blood and Honour," banned in Germany since 2000. The photo further depicts Vossen holding a machete.
In addition to photos, the profile of the former adr candidate for the East also featured memes and images related to National Socialism, Adolf Hitler, and right-wing ideologies. RTL decided not to share these posts, all of which are in bad taste, on our website.
The satirical page did not anticipate Vossen's swift resignation after their post, as their intention was to "spark a discussion and highlight the facts." DAR thinks it is "concerning" that the adr party seemingly failed to notice the content on Vossen's Facebook profile until recently, prompting questions about the vetting process for candidates representing the party.
According to the satirical page, Vossen's entire Facebook account, including the controversial posts was deleted only after "shit was already hitting the fan," leading them to question Vossen's stance on the posts, as he apparently stood by them prior to their removal.
*Despite attempts to gain Alain Vossen's perspective on the matter, RTL.lu has not received a response to their request for an interview.
