The journalist Ferda Ataman has been elected the new Federal Anti-Discrimination Commissioner by the Bundestag. With the votes of the SPD, Greens and FDP, Ataman achieved the required majority.
When they were elected, the so-called chancellor majority was necessary – i.e. the majority of all members of the Bundestag and not just those present. Because of numerous corona cases in the traffic light groups and the wedding of the FDP leader Christian Lindner, there were fears in advance that the absolute majority could not be achieved. On Thursday afternoon in the Bundestag, a majority of 376 MPs approved the appeal, 369 would have been necessary.
This has avoided further upheavals between the governing parties. The 43-year-old journalist and political scientist had become the subject of sharp public criticism and polemics in recent weeks. There was also a row between the Greens and the FDP over their application.
After the sharp and sometimes disparaging debates about her person, the new anti-discrimination officer now wants to draw attention away from her own person and towards the matter at hand. Because there is enough to do. The anti-discrimination officer, who has a staff of around 35 employees, supports people who are disadvantaged because of their age, gender, marital status or origin, whether in hiring or payment, when looking for accommodation or education.
The legal basis is the General Equal Treatment Act, the effect of which the federal government considers insufficient. Because so far, the anti-discrimination officer has been allowed to research and advise, and also make recommendations. In an emergency, private individuals must file complaints about discrimination at their own risk. Comparatively few sufferers take advantage of the opportunity. Experts also criticize the short complaint period of eight weeks. Overall, the law in Germany falls short of the requirements of EU law. The government now wants to change that.
The post of anti-discrimination commissioner, which was previously assigned by the cabinet, had remained vacant in recent years. The reason was the lawsuit of an unsuccessful applicant who had paralyzed the work for years. With the election of the Federal Commissioner by Parliament, the Federal Government wants to strengthen the legal basis for the fight against discrimination.