The Raucous Ruckus in Germany's Parliament: An AfD MP's Troubled Tenure
Repeated Absence of a Representative - Investigative Body Delves Further into Allegations
Written by Miriam Hollstein & Martin Debes | Reading Time: ~4 Mins
These days, the German Bundestag echoes with more than just dignified debates - it's a hotbed of barbed words, heated arguments, and the occasional scuffle. In this parliamentary period, a whopping 129 admonishments and 26 reprimands have been doled out, marking an era of unparalleled belligerence since the very first legislative period, 1949-1953. With the tumultuous tone in the Bundestag, it's hard to ignore the defining finger pointing at the Alternative for Germany (AfD).
The AfD's Bruising Impact
There's no mistaking the source of the Bundestag's coarsening tone. As suspicions might suggest, the finger points squarely at the AfD. Out of the 129 admonishments in this parliamentary term, 85 were slapped onto the Alternative. Thirteen admonishments, meanwhile, went to independent MPs such as Robert Farle, who initially supported the AfD but has since distanced himself from the party. Following the AfD are the SPD with eleven parliamentarians getting admonished, the Greens (7), The Left (6), Union (4), and the FDP (2).
Adding even more chaos to the final faction meeting on Tuesday, the BSW alliance, led by Sahra Wagenknecht, gave a raucous performance. In defiance of the Bundestag's rules of order (Paragraph 4, Section 2), which prohibit the display of "banners or posters" of any kind during debates, BSW parliamentarians held up posters reading "1914 like 2025 - No to war credits." Vice President of the Bundestag, Petra Pau, was quick to issue an admonishment to all BSW parliamentarians who participated in the display.
In the final flare-up of the 20th legislative period, AfD MP Stephan Brandner was handed an admonishment for calling Friedrich Merz "Pinocchio-Fritze." Brandner, who has earned a notorious reputation for his tumultuous conduct, leads the chart in such disciplinary actions, having amassed a total of 20 admonishments, closely followed by his faction mate Beatrix von Storch, who has been admonished 19 times. Von Storch alleges that the Presidium practices double standards, stating, "Ordinances are issued based on political opportunism and with a double standard."
The AfD in the Melee: A Tale of Mutual Recrimination
The records of the Bundestag sessions do not support Von Storch's claims of double standards. Instead, they demonstrate that punishments were administered with equal vigor, regardless of the offender's faction. However, the records do show that remarks that resulted in admonishments for other factions were almost always directed at the AfD. An example includes the then FDP MP Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, who referred to the Alternative as "the successors of the National Socialists" on June 17, 2024, before her move to the European Parliament. She was promptly admonished by Bundestag President Bárbara Bás (SPD). Previously, AfD faction leader Tino Chrupalla had branded Strack-Zimmermann a "warmonger."
Conversely, members of the AfD were frequently found indulging in insults against Green Party MPs. Eugen Schmidt once called Green Tobias Bacherle a "long-haired, undrafted warmonger," while party member Martin Reichardt found it amusing to mock the "overweight Ricarda Lang." Von Storch often referred to opponents and supporters of the abortion ban paragraph 218 as "child murderers."
Turning to rebukes, the picture remains much the same. Out of the 26 rebukes issued in this legislative period by the end of January, 13 were issued to the AfD. The SPD lags significantly behind, with a mere four rebukes. The Left party received two rebukes, the Greens one rebuke, the FDP one rebuke, while the Union received none.
Among the hecklers, Brandner tops the charts, having earned a total of three rebukes. At one point, he labelled Green MP Irene Mihalic as "extremely stupid." Another time, he ridiculed the attire of Green Renate Künast, who, in response, was rebuked for reprimanding Brandner for calling another MP a "puppet." Former leader of the Left party, Janine Wissler, was rebuked for saying in the Bundestag, "One should never try to out-stink a skunk, as the Union and the traffic light coalition are currently doing."
Deteriorating Respect in Germany's Parliament
Compelled to enforce rules against disruptive hecklers, Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt (serving in the Bundestag since 1998) attributes the declining respect in the Bundestag primarily to the AfD. "Since the AfD has been a part of the Bundestag, unfortunately, heckling and insults, especially targeting women who approach the lectern, have become routine in the day-to-day life of the parliament," says the Green politician. "Such behavior has nothing to do with political debate anymore."
In Göring-Eckardt's view, eloquence and sharpness could contribute positively to political discourse. But she cautions that "insults and heckling erode the climate, not only of political debate, but also of mutual respect overall."
Contextual Insights:
The AfD, a far-right political party, gained significant political power in Germany, leading to controversies and scandals, including financial irregularities, extremist links, inciting hate speech, and internal conflicts. While these issues do not directly point to misconduct within the Bundestag in terms of financial or legal transgressions, they highlight broader concerns about the party's practices and influence.
For more concrete details regarding specific instances of misconduct involving the AfD in the Bundestag, additional research into specific cases and investigations will be necessary.
- The AfD's influence seems to be a significant factor in the coarsening tone of the German Bundestag, as they have received 85 out of 129 admonishments issued during this parliamentary term.
- AfD MP Stephan Brandner, known for his turbulent conduct, leads the chart in admonishments, with a total of 20. His frequent insults against Green Party MPs and allegations of double standards by the Presidium have sparked debate.
- The records of the Bundestag sessions demonstrate that punishments were administered equally, regardless of the offender's faction, contradicting the claims of double standards by AfD member Beatrix von Storch.
