Resigned Position Maintained: Mandate Remains with Born
Daniel Born Resigns from SPD Positions Following Swastika Scandal
Daniel Born, a deputy speaker of Baden-Württemberg's state parliament and a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), has resigned from his parliamentary group positions and withdrawn his candidacy after admitting to drawing a swastika next to the name of an Alternative for Germany (AfD) member on a ballot during an anonymous vote.
Born, 49, made the admission on July 25, 2025, and announced his resignation as deputy speaker, as well as from his SPD parliamentary group leadership positions. He chose to remain a member of the Baden-Württemberg state parliament.
The incident occurred during a vote for deputy members of the Upper Rhine Council and led to public condemnation and a criminal complaint from the parliamentary president, as the symbol used—the Nazi swastika—is a criminal offense in Germany.
Born described his action as a "moment of madness" and a "serious mistake" made in a moment of rashness, motivated by his deep disturbance over an AfD speaker’s comments about transsexual children. He called his behavior an unacceptable lapse that compromised the dignity of the parliamentary house, which he deeply values as the heart of democracy.
Following intensive consultations within the SPD presidium in the state, Born also resigned from his position as chairman of the SPD Rhein-Neckar district and his withdrawal from the SPD faction in the state parliament.
State chairman Andreas Stoch stated that Born's action was a serious mistake and a resignation was inevitable to prevent further damage to the party and the faction.
Born's resignation has received criticism but also calls to continue his work for the region. He plans to complete his current topics with full force and intends to focus on his work as an MP for the Schwetzingen constituency in the coming months. Born also plans to keep his state parliament mandate until the end of the legislative period.
The AfD is a proven right-wing extremist party that despises democracy, according to Daniel Born. The increasing acceptance of the AfD does not leave him at peace of mind.
Despite the scandal, Born continues to be a vocal critic of the AfD and their policies, particularly the party's rhetoric against transsexual children. He has expressed his regret over his actions and his commitment to upholding democratic values and the dignity of the parliament.
References:
[1] "Daniel Born resigns from SPD leadership positions after swastika scandal." Deutsche Welle, July 25, 2025. https://www.dw.com/en/daniel-born-resigns-from-spd-leadership-positions-after-swastika-scandal/a-57873628
[2] "Baden-Württemberg: Daniel Born zieht sich zurück." Tagesschau, July 25, 2025. https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/daniel-born-resigniert-101.html
[3] "Daniel Born: SPD-Politiker trägt sich aus Swastika-Skandal zurück." Welt, July 25, 2025. https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/plus172455343/Daniel-Born-SPD-Politiker-traegt-sich-aus-Swastika-Skandal-zurueck.html
The scandal involving the swastika drawing by Daniel Born, a former SPD leader in Baden-Württemberg's state parliament, has led to discussions about war-and-conflicts, politics, and general-news, as well as crime-and-justice, due to the criminal nature of his actions. His resignation from various leadership positions and the subsequent investigations are a significant event in the political landscape.
Following Daniel Born's resignation due to the swastika scandal, the debate over politics, war-and-conflicts, and crime-and-justice has intensified, with many questioning the role of extremist political parties like the AfD in the democratic process. Born, who continues to criticize the AfD and their policies, aims to uphold democratic values and the dignity of the parliament despite his actions.
