By Thomas Escritt and Sarah MarshBERLIN (Reuters) - A former German spy chief who was sacked after being accused of averting his eyes to the threat posed by the far-right founded a new right-wing party on Saturday, holding an inaugural party congress on a boat near Germany's old capital Bonn.
The Werteunion, or Values Union, is headed by Hans-Georg Maassen, who was dismissed as head of Germany's Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) in 2018.
A former member of the opposition Christian Democrats, Maassen is himself now being monitored by the security agency he ran, he said last month.
Maassen said on social media platform X, posting a photo of himself and colleagues in front of a German flag on the boat.
Earlier this year, leftist politician Sahra Wagenknecht founded a new left populist party.
Persons:
Thomas Escritt, Sarah Marsh BERLIN, Hans, Georg Maassen, Maassen, Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, Sahra Wagenknecht, Sarah Marsh, Matthias Williams, Sharon Singleton
Organizations:
Values, Christian Democrats, Social Democrats
Locations:
Bonn, Germany, Chemnitz