Stress in the Parliamentary Soccer Team: Sharing the Field with AfD Politicians_Revised
Lawmakers Expected to Grant AfD Freedom to Exercise Their Political Rights
Whoa! The parliamentary soccer team is in a pickle due to internal strife over letting AfD politicians join their ranks. They need to have some polite debates, or so they say. But it's more than just soccer that's causing the ruckus.
Let's catch our breath with Maja Wallstein, a Social Democrat, as she chucks a ball to Kassem Taher Saleh (Green Party) near the Bundestag entrance. He's huffing and puffing; her comment - "You could've pumped him up" - shows she's anything but lackadaisical.
Their factions may be opposite, but they unite on the field, cherishing sports values such as fairness, inclusivity, and internationalism. The teams welcomes all, save one exception: the AfD. According to Wallstein, "They don't mesh well."
Back in 2024, the team barred the AfD members from their games. That was after the investigative journalists from "Correctiv" stirred the pot with their revelations about the Potsdam meeting. For Taher Saleh, it was the team's golden year. Showering alongside non-extremists transformed the atmosphere significantly. "I prefer not to be naked under a shower with Nazis and right-wing extremists," he admits.
AfD Feels "Wrongfully Excluded"
But now, rejoice the AfD quartet, who've filed a lawsuit against the earlier decision. It's been ruled null and void, as per the court. This elicited cheers within their faction back in the Bundestag.
Stephan Brandner, a federal board member, seems thrilled, despite his indifference towards soccer. As a Ruhr native, soccer is more than a sport; it's a badge of honor, he says. Nevertheless, Brandner thinks the FC Bundestag has "botched it up" by trying to eliminate the AfD, given their court battle. In his view, it's "ridiculous" to argue for political inclusion in court.
Politics in the House, Politics on the Pitch
The question of how to handle the AfD within the Bundestag has always been a political minefield. Despite their ballooning numbers (152 members), the second-largest faction in the new Bundestag can't grab any vice-presidential positions due to opposition from other factions. Brandner ain't too pleased: "Everywhere, attempts are being made to sabotage us."
Damaging the Legendary Room of Otto Wels
Another bone of contention is the AfD's claim over the SPD's Otto Wels meeting room. This historical figure played a pivotal role in opposing the NSDAP's Enabling Act in 1933, and his speech is legendary. Now, Stephan Brandner claims it's just a matter of inability to engage with the AfD in a reasoned, civilized manner. Brandner notes that it's all about "pummeling them."
Back to the FC Bundestag, they're now forced to share the field with Jörn König and Malte Kaufmann, the AfD players. Taher Saleh isn't so jazzed about this development. He thinks they're stocked up with conservatives on the team and don't need "reinforcements." Though the team didn't shine in their recent performance at the Parliament Teams' European Championship, coming in third out of four participants.
AfD's Brandner thinks König and Kaufmann are "gifted footballers." Saleh disagrees, citing König's lack of ball control and Kaufmann's one-dimensional passing ability. Wallstein, however, chooses her words carefully. "I'm interested in their ideas and political orientations," she declares. "Their contempt for people means they're not welcome."
Is there a resolution in sight? The FC Bundestag is toying with the idea of revising their club rules to show the AfD the door for good.
- Despite the court ruling that the earlier exclusion of AfD members from the FC Bundestag's games was null and void, the Social Democrat member Maja Wallstein is still argumentative about their inclusion on the field, stating that they don't mesh well with the team's values.
- The AfD's inclusion in the parliamentary soccer team, FC Bundestag, has stirred controversy, with Green Party member Kassem Taher Saleh admitting that showering alongside non-extremists transformed the atmosphere significantly and preferring not to be naked under a shower with Nazis and right-wing extremists.
- In the Bundestag, the question of how to handle the AfD has always been a political minefield, with the opposition from other factions preventing the AfD from securing any vice-presidential positions, and the AfD's claim over the SPD's Otto Wels meeting room causing further controversy.
