Bundestag debate on Merkel's policy statement: Sharp attacks and a faux pas

Sometimes statements in these turbulent days are quickly outdated. This is how the Chancellor feels when, in the morning, she makes a government statement in the Bundestag on the EU Council summit and addresses the Brexit negotiations. You are on a "better way than before", but "not yet at your destination," she says. Just under three hours, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker confirm the signing of a Brexit treaty.

At least at Brexit Angela Merkel can breathe so. In other fields, world politics remains a challenge. There is, above all, the entry of Turkish troops and their Arab auxiliary units in the area controlled by the Kurdish militia YPG in northern Syria. The offensive brings - with all "quite understandable security interests" of Turkey - in the already long-suffering country even more suffering, says Merkel. The previous successes in the fight against the terrorist militia "Islamic State", which were made possible by the Kurds there, could be canceled out.

Merkel speaks of "a humanitarian drama with big geopolitical consequences" and that the role of Russia together with Iran "massively" strengthened in the region, after the US soldiers were withdrawn. "And the consequences of this development are still not foreseeable," warns the Chancellor.

Right at the beginning of the session Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU) recalled Halle's attack. He expressed his condolences to all victims, relatives and witnesses, pointed to everyday anti-Semitism and the fear of many Jews to publicly show their faith in Germany. That was "shameful for our country". When he asked to rise from the squares, the deputies of all parties and the spectators in the plenary hall did so.

SPD leader Mützenich: "disgusting comments on attacks"

But that ended the parliamentary consensus. In the debate on Merkel's policy statement, AfD parliamentary leader Alexander Gauland first took the floor. He described the withdrawal of US troops from Syria as a "betrayal of the Kurds". He linked this with a fundamental criticism of the "lack of respect", which US President Donald Trump, but also British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be brought. "Where is this supposed to lead if the media does not portray the heads of government of at least allied and powerful states as clowns without the participation of politics?" Said Gauland. In the case of Trump, it leads to a "then-but-your-junk alone" signal to the Europeans.

CLEMENS BILAN / EPA-EFE / REX

SPD leader Mützenich: "This enemy is right."

What Gauland did not mention was the subject of other speakers. After the attack in Halle had the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the Bundestag, AfD MP Stephan Brandner, with tweets indignation in the other factions triggered.

The lawyer, who belongs to the right-wing "wing" within the AfD and has repeatedly been struck by provocations, shared a tweet from another user who asked why politicians "loitered" with candles in mosques and synagogues, if a "German who likes Folk music ", and a" bio-German "were the victims.

Brandner was criticized on Wednesday in the Legal Committee for his behavior, he himself said later, from his retweet could be derived no agreement - he was concerned to represent the breadth of a discussion and to give ideas for opinion.

SPD parliamentary leader Rolf Mützenich said about the action of Halle, much remains to be clarified, perhaps the perpetrator acted alone, "but he is also supported by a system of agitation, chauvinism and right-wing extremism, and the AfD is part of this system." And: He had not imagined that MPs "disgusting comments about attacks spread, and these MPs sit in the middle of the ranks of the AfD".

Mützenich received strong applause not only from the SPD, but from Union, Left, FDP and Greens. On the other hand, some AfD MPs arose from their seats and shouted in between. Mützenich also resorted to a quote proclaimed by Reich Chancellor Joseph Wirth in 1922 after the murder of Foreign Minister Walther Rathenau in the Reichstag by right-wing extremists: "There stands the enemy and there is no doubt that this enemy is on the right." Again, there was approval from all factions for Mützenich - with the exception of AfD.

Photo: Bernd of Jutrczenka / dpa

Scholz, Merkel and Lindner in plenary debate after the faux pas: "We now see the same thing in Thuringia" - an "illegal international invasion".

Also FDP boss Christian Lindner attacked the AfD head-on. Without mentioning Brandner's name, he spoke of a "missed opportunity" Gaulands, to comment on the "derailments on Twitter". "If you are silent, you agree," says Lindner. If the AFD continues to leave the chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee at this post, that in effect says something "about their character".

Lindner brought the debate the only moment of collective joy - by a faux pas. Lindner seemed to be mentally in the current election campaign in Thuringia to stay, as he addressed the invasion of Turkey in Syria: "We now see the same thing in Thuringia: namely, an illegal international invasion of an Islamist Präsidialdemo .. dh..diktatur."

Video: Thuringia instead of Syria

Video

CLEMENS BILAN / EPA-EFE / REX

Chancellor Merkel initially looked at the government bank in disbelief and then laughed. Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz could hardly keep to himself and bit his index finger. Lindner quickly pushed a "Syria" behind.

But it was already too late.