German party moves to expel former spy chief as member

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s main opposition party has launched an effort to expel from its ranks a former head of the country’s intelligence agency, weeks after he complained of what he said was a move toward “eliminatory racism against whites.” The center-right Christian Democratic Union two weeks ago gave Hans-Georg Maassen an ultimatum to leave the party by Feb. 5, which he ignored. On Monday, the party leader said the CDU leadership had decided unanimously to start expulsion proceedings and withdraw his membership rights with immediate effect. Maassen was removed as the head of the BfV domestic intelligence agency in 2018 after appearing to downplay far-right violence against migrants in the eastern city of Chemnitz.