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The Brandenburg State Parliament in Potsdam
Photo: Bernd Settnik / dpa
Changes in the law alone will not make anti-Semitism disappear, but they can have a signal effect: a large majority in the Brandenburg state parliament would like to anchor the fight against anti-Semitism as a state goal in the Brandenburg state constitution.
All parliamentary groups in the state parliament were in favor of a corresponding change - with the exception of the AfD.
"We are putting Jewish life under the protection of the constitution of the state of Brandenburg," said the parliamentary manager of the CDU parliamentary group, Steeven Bretz, when presenting the joint proposal of the red-black-green coalition and the left.
The background to the initiative is an accumulation of anti-Israel demonstrations in the past few weeks, during which there were repeated anti-Semitic incidents.
SPD parliamentary group leader Erik Stohn said the parliamentary groups' talks about the constitutional amendment had been fueled by the rallies in recent times.
Green party leader Petra Budke also recalled the attack on the synagogue in Halle in October 2019.
When the constitution is amended, the composition of the Landtag Presidium is also to be reorganized.
According to the draft law, it should be stipulated that one of the vice-presidents should belong to an opposition faction, regardless of their strength.
After the state elections in 2019, a post of Vice President fell to the AfD as the second largest parliamentary group according to the previous regulation.
The elected MP Andreas Galau (AfD) is criticized, among other things, because of allegations that Galau met anti-Semites during demonstrations.
The AfD parliamentary group spoke of a »constitutional abuse«.
Deepen friendship with Poland
According to the draft law, the goal of deepening friendship with neighboring Poland should also be explicitly included.
In addition, both genders should always be mentioned in the constitution in gender-appropriate language, said Budke.
The state parliament is to debate the draft in the first reading in mid-June.
A total of three readings are required.
A two-thirds majority of 60 votes is required to pass the changes.
It is precisely this number of mandates that the SPD, CDU, the Greens and the Left have jointly.
A two-thirds majority would also be required to vote out Vice President Galau.
mrc / dpa