State parliament paves the way for changes to the state constitution

Created: 06/22/2022, 12:50 p.m

The state parliament of Brandenburg.

© Bernd Settnik/dpa

After a heated discussion, the Brandenburg state parliament paved the way for amendments to the state constitution with a large majority.

The red-black-green coalition factions and the Die Linke faction want to enshrine friendship with Poland, the fight against anti-Semitism and antiziganism, and the promotion of Jewish culture in the constitution.

Potsdam - In addition, the language should be gender-fair.

The biggest point of contention in the debate on Wednesday was the intention to reorganize the composition of the state parliament presidency.

In future, the right to propose candidates for the Presidency should no longer be tied to the strength of the parliamentary groups.

As a result, a deputy post fell to the AfD MP Andreas Galau, whose administration has received massive criticism from the other groups.

After the SPD, the AfD is the second largest parliamentary group in the state parliament.

The planned constitutional amendment stipulates that in future only one of the deputy posts will go to an opposition faction.

The AfD MP Dennis Hohloch therefore accused the other factions of an "attack on the constitution".

"You are abusing the constitution for your day-to-day political business and to fight your political opponent." CDU faction leader Jan Redmann replied that the new regulation should ensure that the opposition is represented in the presidium, but that a member of parliament does not have to be elected "who does this is not worthy of office".

Against the votes of the AfD faction and with the abstention of the BVB/free voters faction, the state parliament voted on Wednesday to decide on the changes on Thursday in the third reading.

dpa