Pandemic
BSW wants to request Corona investigation committee
“Not submitting such a motion because the AfD could also support it would be childish,” says Wagenknecht about the demand for a Corona investigation committee. (Archive image) Photo
© Jens Kalaene/dpa
Dealing with the pandemic is a central issue for party founder Sahra Wagenknecht – as it is for the AfD. Do they vote together in the Bundestag?
The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance has formulated a motion for a Corona investigation committee in the Bundestag – a goal that also includes the AfD supports this. The news portal “t-online” reported on this. The motion has also been submitted to the German Press Agency. In order to get it through, the BSW would have to rely on votes from other parties.
AfD health politician Martin Sichert told “t-online” that the AfD would “of course and at any time” vote for such a committee, regardless of who put forward the motion. BSW founder Sahra Wagenknecht said: “Not submitting such a motion because the AfD could also support it would be childish and not do justice to the importance of the matter.”
At least a quarter of the 733 members of the Bundestag, i.e. 184, would have to vote for a committee of inquiry. The BSW itself has only ten members. The AfD has 77 seats.
Many details on twelve pages
BSW and AfD have been calling for such a committee for months. Wagenknecht said back in March that it was necessary “to shed light on the period with the greatest restrictions on basic rights in the history of the Federal Republic.” Even then, Sichert signaled his approval.
The motion is now written out on twelve pages with many details and sources. Among other things, it states that experts had already pointed out in 2020 that the treatment of Covid patients would not push the health system to its limits. Nevertheless, the federal government argued for particularly tough measures and the most complete vaccination of the population possible, citing the threat of the health system being overloaded.
An election campaign maneuver?
“There was a division in society on a scale never seen before, which was very stressful for many people, and there was stigmatization, denunciation, defamation, exclusion, dismissals and the destruction of professional careers,” the BSW application states. The investigative committee should clarify whether the government’s measures were proportionate, including requirements to wear FFP2 masks or to provide proof of vaccination.
AfD politician Stephan Brandner also appeared open to supporting the BSW application on “t-online”, but at the same time strongly criticized it: “This is a transparent election campaign maneuver,” said Brandner, referring to the state election in Brandenburg on Sunday. The idea of the investigative committee was “copied” from the AfD.