Something unique could happen at the end of October: a referendum would like to dissolve the state parliament around Prime Minister Markus Söder.
The faces behind the action raise questions, however.
Munich - From October 14th the time has come: For two weeks, the residents of Bavaria can register in their local town halls for the referendum “Alliance - Landtag - Dismissed”.
The campaign needs a million signatures to overcome the next and, at the same time, biggest hurdle.
Politicians are concerned about the referendum, as the organizers of the alliance are closely networked with the “lateral thinker” scene in the Free State.
Popular initiative: part of democracy
In principle, referendums are a typical component of any democracy.
Article 18 of the Bavarian constitution allows the residents of the Free State to directly influence political decisions.
In order to initiate such an application, at least 25,000 signatures must be collected in the first step.
For a final success of the request, enough voters must then register in the signature lists in the town halls within two weeks.
In a conventional referendum, the signatures of at least ten percent of the citizens entitled to vote are required, in the case of a dissolution of the state parliament even at least one million.
After the dissolution of parliament, new elections could then take place.
Popular initiative in Bavaria: organizers under observation
The referendum was reported for the first time at the beginning of August. Even then it quickly became known that some of the applicants were from the “lateral thinker” scene. These facts are also reflected in the formulations on the Alliance's website, for example, lies should form the basis of politics in the state parliament. The aim was to “clean up the state parliament and clean it regularly in the future”, and decisions in parliament would be dictated instead of discussed.
The participation of Karl Hilz, who acts as the deputy representative of the referendum, is also not uncritical.
The retired policeman is not only one of the most famous faces of the "lateral thinkers", but is also under observation by the Bavarian constitution protection.
With his activism against the corona protective measures, Hilz is trying to systematically disrupt the functioning of the state, the office closes in its latest semi-annual report.
“Unconventional thinkers” helped with collecting signatures
While on the one hand the contacts in the milieu of the “lateral thinkers” cannot be dismissed out of hand, the alliance also tries to promote a commitment to democracy. “We don't want to change or overthrow the state. We are concerned with more direct democracy, ”explains Gerhard Estermann, one of the spokesmen for the referendum, to the
dpa
. The Bavarians should rather "become aware of their democratic rights again". The connection to the “lateral thinkers” nevertheless had an advantage, admits Estermann: “The lateral thinkers were helpful when it came to collecting the necessary signatures for the petition for the referendum.” There were no deeper influences.
In addition, the alliance does not necessarily expect a complete replacement of the state parliament, instead it will rely on a "more citizen-oriented policy" and a broader field of candidates: "It is of course clear to us that virtually the same political actors would go into new elections again," assures Estermann.
The spokesman finds the task of collecting a million signatures “sporty”.
State Parliament President Aigner speaks of "misunderstood democracy"
Bavarian politics is also split in the face of the referendum. On the one hand, the Bavarian constitution expressly provides for the possibility of such a referendum, insofar as this should be fully respected, argues the President of the State Parliament, Ilse Aigner (CSU). On the other hand, it is absurd to claim that the people have no right to have a say if precisely this means is used. "If a few now - because the Corona measures do not suit them and the parliament does not dance to their tune - want to recall the state parliament, that is a misunderstood democracy," she quotes the
dpa
.
One could protest against the majority decision in a democracy and get involved politically, according to Aigner, "but a
dissolution and thus a new election of the state parliament would not change that."
Söder's slip-up play popular petitions into the cards
For the ruling CSU and Prime Minister Markus Söder in particular, the referendum could come at an extremely inopportune time.
On Wednesday the Bavarian Administrative Court (VGH) brought down the controversial Corona restrictions from spring 2020 and caused a wave of indignation against the Bavarian Prime Minister.
The hashtag # SöderRücktritt quickly established itself among the trends on
,
and Söder even attacked the
Union of Values
via the short message service.
Incredible: Last year, Markus # Söder ordered millions of Bavarian citizens to be locked in their homes.
Even reading on a park bench was not allowed.
Now the judiciary has determined: Clearly illegal!
#SoederRuecktritt # exit lock pic.twitter.com/QtXunjWYMC
- ValuesUnion (@WerteUnion) October 7, 2021
Yesterday's statements against the CDU boss and candidate for Chancellor Armin Laschet should not let the Prime Minister's popularity shoot through the roof.
All these slip-ups could play into the cards of the organizers of the referendum and guarantee suspense for a possible new parliamentary election.
Referendum: A long way to go to the final destination
However, there is still a long way to go before the state parliament in Munich is finally dissolved.
The referendum is currently missing exactly one million votes.
The period from October 14th to 28th could be one of the most important in the recent history of the Free State.
(dpa)
