“They are allying themselves with a dictator whose hybrid military aggressions are directed against our country.” Critics in Berlin after an acclaimed conductor was decorated by Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin and Justus Frantz at the award ceremony in the Kremlin Photo: The Kremlin Moscow / DPA / Profimedia
A conservative lawmaker on Thursday called for action against German conductor Justus Frantz, who traveled to Moscow this week to receive the “Order of Friendship” from Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, Politico reports.
At a ceremony held in the Kremlin on Tuesday, Justus Frantz confessed his love for the music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Sergei Rachmaninov, and Vladimir Putin, in turn, emphasized the German musician's contribution to the cultural rapprochement between Russia and Germany, according to Deutsche Welle.
In reaction, Roland Theis, a member of the ruling CDU party, on Thursday asked German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to withdraw the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
“Anyone who allies with a dictator whose hybrid military aggressions are, to this day, directed against our country, can no longer be a recipient of the Federal Order of Merit,” Theis told Politico.
The old ties between the conductor and Russia
The 81-year-old musician is considered one of the leading figures of German classical music. In 1986, Franz founded the Schleswig-Holstein Festival, turning it into one of the largest classical music forums. However, his political views have been repeatedly criticized.
The artist was criticized for his support for the annexation of Crimea, and in 2023 he was disqualified from the festival he founded because of his close ties to Russia. Justus Franz gave concerts in the Crimea and was part of the jury of the Tchaikovsky Competition after the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
In February 2023, Frantz signed the controversial “Manifesto for Peace”, an online petition started by left-wing politician Sahra Wagenknecht calling for negotiations with Russia.
Justus Franz “worked successfully for many years to bring closer and mutually enrich the cultures of Russia and the Federal Republic of Germany,” Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday. In turn, the conductor said in Russian that “all his life” he wanted to “perform Russian music and work for your culture.”
