As of: March 13, 2024, 2:59 p.m
By: Simon Schröder
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The AfD politician Kay-Uwe Ziegler caused a stir in the health committee.
© IMAGO/ Montage
Kay-Uwe Ziegler hijacks a committee chairmanship.
The action is causing criticism everywhere.
The Greens speak of “incredibly undemocratic methods”.
Berlin - The AfD parliamentary group provoked a scandal in the Bundestag's Health Committee on Wednesday (March 13th).
At the beginning of the meeting, the AfD representative Kay-Uwe Ziegler took the place of the incumbent committee chairwoman Kirsten Kappert-Gonther (The Greens) and claimed the right to chair the meeting, as the SPD health expert Christos Pantazis announced.
Ziegler “swapped the chairwoman’s sign and refused to vacate the seat despite requests from the secretariat,” Pantazis explained.
“In doing so, he wanted to unlawfully take over the chair of the meeting.” The meeting could only start late.
The parliamentary managing director of the Green parliamentary group, Irene Mihalic, commented on
the process to the
Germany editorial network .
“With the usurping appointment of the committee chairmanship in the Health Committee, another limit has been crossed; this is attempted self-empowerment,” criticized Mihalic.
“The masks at the AfD have been dropped a long time ago.
It is a right-wing extremist party and uses incredibly undemocratic methods.” The events in the Health Committee make it clear that the AfD “is serious about its subversive plans.”
AfD spokesman Sichert announced the plan in advance - AfD wants committee chairmanship
According to the AfD parliamentary group, Ziegler wanted to use the campaign to make clear the party's claim to the committee chairmanship.
According to the distribution key in the Bundestag's rules of procedure, the AfD parliamentary group is theoretically entitled to chair the committee - but the other factions do not want to allow this.
In a letter dated Wednesday to the committee members, which was available to the
AFP
news agency in Berlin, Ziegler and the AfD parliamentary group's health policy spokesman, Martin Sichert, announced and justified the action in advance.
After more than two years, the AfD parliamentary group has decided to “express our claim to the committee chairmanship more clearly than before at today’s committee meeting,” they write.
According to the legal opinion of the AfD parliamentary group, Ziegler is the rightful chairman of the committee.
“The chairman appointed by our group, Kay-Uwe Ziegler, will therefore take over the chair for today’s meeting,” announced the two AfD MPs in the letter to the other committee members.
Firewall of the other MPs: No cooperation with the AfD
The SPD MP Pantazis spoke of “scandalous behavior” that was unacceptable.
The other MPs responded with a “firewall”.
“The representatives of all democratic factions and groups then refused to take their seats in the hall,” reported the SPD politician.
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This scandal is not the AfD's first.
Alternative for Germany MPs regularly receive reprimands for misconduct.
The Bavarian state parliament therefore decided to impose a fine of up to 2,000 euros - in the event of a repeat offense even up to 4,000 euros.
Furthermore, proceedings are currently underway against the AfD to determine whether the AfD as a whole party can be classified as a suspected right-wing extremist case.
After the March 2021 ruling, the party filed an appeal.
(afp/SiSchr)