Bundestag: Union announces “street fight” against AfD

reThe corona vaccine is also a boon for political culture. It will likely not only make a key contribution to ending the pandemic and protecting the health of many citizens; In this way, it could indirectly contribute to the fact that the increasing escalation and aggression observed in the protests against the rules of the Crown does not alter the parliamentary functioning.

On Friday, at the request of the coalition factions, the parliament discussed the actions of some AfD parliamentarians who had invited guests to parliament on Wednesday for the debate on the revision of the Civil Protection Law, whom they had to assume. that they wouldn’t just listen. So it was. Several parliamentarians were harassed and filmed, and offices were entered without permission.

At the same time, a large demonstration against the law took place in full view of the Bundestag. AfD politicians had allied with the protesters; the party accuses the government of trying to undermine democracy. To do this, following an ever-increasing escalation logic, Nazi-era terms such as “Enabling Law” are used.

The current time showed that it is not possible for the Bundestag to return to the agenda after the events of Wednesday. The day will probably last for a long time. The tone was extremely aggressive on all sides. The parliamentary groups of CDU / CSU, SPD, Greens, FDP and Left were outraged by the behavior of AfD politicians and combined this with a general agreement with the party.

The term “hypocrisy” is used more frequently

The leader of his parliamentary group, Alexander Gauland, acknowledged the accusations as such. He apologized for the actions of his MPs. “It is uncivilized and inappropriate for elected representatives to be harassed by guests from our group. I hereby apologize. We should have avoided that, we should have supervised our visitors. ” The apology was later rejected by numerous speakers from the other parties and repeatedly called “hypocrisy.”

This was probably related to relativizing phrases by Gauland, who said, for example: “We couldn’t expect something like this to happen.” In addition, the guests had been screened for security and therefore posed no danger. In fact, quite a bit was known about the woman who was persecuted by Federal Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU).

It is also well documented that the author Thorsten Schulte, who participated in the entry into the offices, speaks of conspiracy ideologies. It was to be hoped that they entered the Bundestag with clear intentions and not only wanted to listen. Respecting the dignity of the house and its representatives is actually part of the etiquette that tens of thousands of guests accept each year without hesitation.

There was constant talk of “hypocrisy”. Gauland also spoke of her when he assumed there was no emotion in what he saw as comparable stocks. In the summer, members of Greenpeace reached the roof of the Reichstag with the help of a representative; Extinction Rebellion supporters were also able to distribute flyers.

What Gauland did not say, and what surprisingly only CSU parliamentary manager Stefan Müller pointed out in a subordinate clause, is that there was outrage about it.

Bundestag Vice President Wolfgang Kubicki (FDP) said at the time that Greenpeace had “illegally abused the Reichstag as a stage.” Administrative proceedings have also been initiated for infringement against the deputies. But, apart from Müller, no one referred to him, which means that the AfD’s attempt to relativize its own misconduct remained largely unchallenged.

Union evokes the fight against the “undemocratic”

The time was used primarily for a general agreement with the party. Parliamentary director Michael Grosse-Brömer (CDU) accused the AfD of a “break with parliamentary culture”: “It is not concerned about the matter. This music stand is your only place for your video clips. They refuse to do parliamentary work ”. Both Grosse-Brömer and Müller accused the AfD of “smuggling”. With a view to the smuggled guests, Müller even called them a “criminal smuggling gang.”

In principle, Marco Buschmann also became part of the FDP. “They want to drag the institutions to the ground because they hate them,” he said.

“The AfD does not protect the Basic Law, the democratic society must protect our country from the AfD,” said Petra Pau from the left. “We will protect parliament. Despite all the differences in the matter, we will do it together. We know our responsibility before history, ”said Greens Parliamentary Director Britta Haßelmann.

Historical comparisons were also sought by referring to activities during the Weimar period and during the Nazi takeover. This showed the fundamental turning point clearly marked by the events of Wednesday from the point of view of most members of the Bundestag.

Unlike the 1920s and early 1930s, the “defensibility” of today’s democracy was invoked. However, one might almost have forgotten that it is primarily an institutional and non-tangible foundation.

Marco Buschmann accused the AfD of “physical obstruction” on the one hand, not without trying to present a very physical picture himself, on the other hand: “The AfD should put the word Basic Law down its throat.” He threatened to expand the instruments with which such physics could prevent obstruction. It was not concrete.

Patrick Schnieder of the CDU took the concept of defense very literally. “You have vastly exceeded the limits. And that will unite us all here, we take up the fight. We take up the fight: the democrats against the undemocrats ”, he said in the direction of the AfD. Schnieder called for the party to be monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and concluded: “We are going to wage the fight, here at home, but also on the street.”

They were strange tones from the mouth of a Union politician. Once again, they document the outrage at the AfD’s action. But also how much battle rhetoric with the AfD has reached the language of all parties.