Assault, insults, illegal possession of weapons – these are sometimes apparently not reasons for the AfD to dismiss politicians from their offices. This is shown by research by the network correctiv.
It’s about physical violence, verbal attacks and abuse of office. The research platform correctiv only discovered in January that AfD politicians, together with neo-Nazis, were planning to expel millions of people from Germany. Corrective has now investigated acts of violence by AfD elected officials at district, state and federal levels.
Corrective came across 28 politicians who were convicted by a court at least in the first instance. 14 of them continued to work for the AfD or even only took office after being convicted. This also applies to current Bundestag member Sebastian Münzenmaier, who was convicted in 2018 of aiding and abetting grievous bodily harm.
According to the court, Münzenmaier had helped members of the hooligan scene to ambush fans of an opposing football club and beat them up. “There were also children among the people, but Münzenmaier accepted that,” says Till Eckert from correctiv. “What’s remarkable is that he was convicted, but a year later he was able to enter the Bundestag as a member of the Bundestag. He still sits there today.” Even back then, apparently no one in the AfD had a problem with this behavior.
“With the AfD they can continue.”
Political scientist Johannes Hillje deals intensively with the AfD. He sees a big difference in how the AfD deals with violent criminals and how other parties do it. “In the past, there have also been politicians from other parties who were convicted of bodily harm, for example. But they then usually had to resign from their positions. With the AfD they are allowed to continue.”
From a legal point of view, this is possible as long as it is “only” a misdemeanor and not a crime. In Germany, only those who have been sentenced to a prison sentence of at least one year lose the right to stand as a candidate, i.e. the right to be elected and to run in an election.
Reform of passive voting law as a solution?
Clara Bünger is a lawyer and sits for the Left in the Bundestag. She would like passive voting rights to be tightened, but at the same time she thinks that that is not enough.
“We need a solution for society as a whole and that means addressing the reasons why people vote for the AfD. People who are convicted of violence are no longer allowed to work in kindergartens or schools, but they do sit in German parliaments.”
Bünger cites the case of AfD MP Thomas Seitz: He is no longer allowed to work as a public prosecutor, but is still a member of the Bundestag. “You really can’t explain that to anyone anymore.” A few days ago, the Baden-Württemberg AfD member of the Bundestag announced that he was leaving the party and parliamentary group.
Many deeds have been known for a long time
Many of the cases listed by correctiv have been known for a long time. Sometimes it’s about insult, like with Bundestag member Stephan Protschka, who called CSU leader Söder a “traitor.” But there are also cases like that of Kai Borrmann, AfD district councilor from Berlin, who hit and bit a black woman and was convicted for it.
The AfD in particular insists on taking tougher action than the other parties. “Tolerance towards violent criminals in our own ranks is in stark contrast to the AfD’s self-portrayal as the guardian of traditional values and as a party based on the rule of law,” says political scientist Hillje. “The AfD generally discredits migrants as a risk to the security of citizens. One can ask whether it doesn’t apply much more lenient standards to its own people.”
The AfD itself was not ready to comment on Friday.
Bianca Schwarz, ARD Berlin, tagesschau, April 5, 2024 1:00 p.m