As of: March 13, 2024, 1:33 p.m
By: Andreas Schmid, Moritz Maier
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The AfD politician Kay-Uwe Ziegler caused a stir in the health committee.
© IMAGO/ Montage
Curious incident in the Health Committee of the Bundestag.
An AfD MP blocked the chairwoman's seat and refused to vacate it in protest.
Berlin - On Wednesday morning, strange scenes took place in the Bundestag's Health Committee.
As
IPPEN.MEDIA
learned from committee circles, Kay-Uwe Ziegler, a member of the Bundestag for the AfD, blocked the seat of the incumbent committee chair before the start of the meeting.
The start of the non-public meeting was delayed.
Ziegler is a member of the health committee, but not chairman.
The AfD politician is said to have “simply sat down” and even placed a self-written piece of paper in front of him that said “committee chairman”.
There is probably a protest action by the AfD behind this.
Because: The committee members of the other parties have long refused to elect someone from the far-right party as chairman.
“Completely crazy” situation in the committee: “The AfD always believes that staging is more important than work.”
According to committee sources, Ziegler remained sitting on the court for ten to 15 minutes, but then finally got up.
“I suspect that he was hoping to be taken out by police force,” CSU health politician Stefan Pilsinger told our editorial team.
Photos or videos could probably be used and marketed “in your own scene,” according to Pilsinger’s assumption.
The left-wing health politician Ates Gürpinar also suspects calculation behind the protest.
“For the AfD, staging is always more important than work.” Today has shown that.
Ziegler repeatedly left the meeting room after his protest.
“It’s also a little weird coming from someone who wants to lead the meeting,” says Gürpinar.
AfD politicians “resist democratic decisions if they don’t like them.” The FDP chairwoman of the health committee, Kristine Lütke, speaks of a “game by the AfD”.
With the aim of “making democracy contemptible”.
Other committee circles spoke of a “completely crazy” situation.
Bundestag parties reject AfD position in the AfD
The background to the unusual sit-in protest is likely to be the vacant position of committee chairman.
The acting chairwoman is Kirsten Kappert-Gonther (Greens), but in fact she is only deputy chairwoman.
Depending on their strength in the Bundestag, parties are entitled to certain positions such as chairmanships.
In theory, the leading position in the health committee belongs to the AfD.
However, just as with the position of Deputy President of the Bundestag, the democratic parties in the Bundestag refuse to elect an AfD representative to the office.
AfD man Ziegler already failed last year.
The AfD has now distributed a letter in which it explains that Ziegler will chair today's meeting.
It is signed by Ziegler and the AfD's health policy spokesman, Martin Sichert.
In it, the AfD describes that Ziegler was appointed chairman by party friend Sichert at the last committee meeting on February 21st.
“The committee did not object to this provision,” the letter said.
The word “not” is written in capital letters in the original.
“According to our legal opinion,” says the AfD, the appointment as chairman has now been completed.
However, the AfD is alone in the Health Committee with this view.
The remaining parties reject an AfD representative in office.
Ziegler's high-profile production won't change that.