Christian Klingen and Markus Bayerbach have updated their photos on Facebook: Two blank portraits are there on Monday, faces without the frippery of party logos or flashy slogans that is otherwise usual in the AfD. Further explanations are missing. The parliamentary group itself sent a few dry lines about what was circulating the day before: Klingen, one of the two parliamentary group leaders, and Bayerbach, deputy parliamentary director, have left the AfD – and thus the parliamentary group.
“We regret the decision of the two former parliamentary group members and call on them to return their seats in the state parliament immediately,” said the spokesman. Otherwise, the AfD will continue its work “in the interests of Germany and Bavaria”.
Been almost nothing, back to business? It won’t be that easy. The AfD continues to shrink, from 22 MPs in 2018 to just 16. And the new parliamentary group executive committee, which only took office in the fall, is without a majority. At that time, Ulrich Singer replaced the former head of Katrin Ebner-Steiner and Ingo Hahn. The faction is deeply divided, previously there had been a permanent conflict between the two camps.
After leaving the party, Christian Klingen said there were “developments” that he no longer wanted to support.
(Photo: Tobias Hase/dpa)
Otherwise, Monday is a day of guesswork: even among our own people, nobody wants to have been informed beforehand, whoever you ask in the parliamentary group or party. Bayerbach himself told the SZ that he was “not one for dirty laundry in public” and did not want to give the exact reason. But it is “not a spontaneous reaction”, something builds up “until a point is reached”. Klingen announced that there were “developments” that he no longer wanted to support.
The media speculated about recent pro-Putin statements in the AfD or the admission of members from right-wing groups. Since extremist incidents have been happening in the AfD for years, it seems unlikely that this was the occasion.
There will probably not be an open declaration in the group. Klingen and Bayerbach will no longer be there in the next meeting – and many ex-colleagues emphasize that they can’t speak to them anymore anyway. And yet, in the interpretation of knowledgeable people in the faction and party on Monday, a possible motive for the resignations comes up again and again: “Schiss”. What is meant is: “As officials, your pants are full.” Both are in government service. Klingen was a graduate in administration at the University of Würzburg for occupational safety until 2018, Bayerbach from Augsburg is a special needs school teacher.
A court recently ruled that the Office for the Protection of the Constitution may classify the AfD as a suspected case because there are “sufficient factual indications of anti-constitutional efforts.” The next step could be official observation of the party as a whole – which could pose a problem for civil servants, for their return after the mandate or even for pension claims. For this reason, many in the AfD are talking about “shutdown movements”. Although Klingen and Bayerbach were top candidates in Lower Franconia and Swabia for the 2018 state elections, a renewed list has not been agreed. Likewise, whether the AfD, with its last seven percent in surveys (declining trend), will even come back into the state parliament. Both MPs, 59 and 57 years old, still have a few years of work left.
Markus Bayerbach was dismissed as chairman of the education committee after the hustle and bustle surrounding the chat affair.
(Photo: Christoph Trost/dpa)
Klingen used to be considered a man of the folkish “wing” in the AfD and friend of Björn Höcke – just with the observation of the wing by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, he already set himself apart there and joined the “more moderate” group in the state parliament, which came to the helm in the fall . Incidentally, Klingen’s wife, a local politician for the AfD, resigned with him. Bayerbach is also struggling with it, one hears that he had to “take the rap” for the chat affair.
There was hustle and bustle in winter after fantasies of a coup from an AfD group became public. The result was that Bayerbach, who actually always appeared as a liberal, was dismissed as chairman of the education committee in the state parliament. Some say that even joining the AfD was “a birth defect”.
Bad things are called after the two. In the relevant AfD channels on the Internet, the angry speeches about “treason” and “spinelessness” are overturning. It is sometimes attested that Bayerbach’s expertise in education is a shame. It’s different with blades. Nothing will be missing in terms of content, says one, his applications, such as greening bus shelters in Lower Franconia, would have no added value anyway. “With Blades, not only is an intellectual beacon leaving us, but also a style icon,” says Petr Bystron, member of the Bundestag and ex-state chief; he probably means Klingen’s likes to pompous speeches and colorful ties.
Remarkable: It is already the fifth and sixth exit from the AfD faction. Markus Plenk, then also leader of the parliamentary group, and Raimund Swoboda took to their heels early on, they reprimanded radical right-wing tones. At the end of 2020 at Ralph Müller it was personal differences. Most recently, Josef Seidl left the group, who died a few months later. His successor, Oskar Atzinger, is non-affiliated for the time being, but should still enter after the removal of statute hurdles.
It is currently eight to eight between the camps. If Atzinger were to join, the Ebner-Steiner camp would probably grow to nine people. The current leadership cannot be deselected, a two-thirds majority would be required for this. Ebner-Steiner and fellow campaigners could set agendas or block lists of speakers and many things. The old conflict is likely to paralyze the AfD again. There are said to be no concrete plans for a by-election for the posts from Klingen and Bayerbach. In the group it was said that one had to “shake oneself first”.