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Of course, it would be desirable if there was no one in the presidium of the German Bundestag who makes politics with German national bluff and anti-refugee slogans. It is therefore more than understandable for Members to feel an internal blockage when it comes to choosing an AFD representative to head the House.
Whether the rejected candidate Mariana Harder-Kühnel now counts to the "moderate", to the "semi-radical" or "full-radical" wing of her party is not decisive. It represents a party that makes politics with resentment and sometimes lowers the democratic discourse to the level of Pegida rallies. To quote Theodor Adorno a little more freely: There is no real vice-president from the ranks of the wrong people.
It is therefore understandable that even in the third ballot a large majority of 423 MPs voted against Harder-Kühnel, although the leaders of the Union and FDP had previously signaled a consent. Whether it was wise is another matter. You can also do the opposite of what you actually want to achieve with the right attitude. The renewed refusal (after the AfD candidate Glaser had already failed three times), allows the party now to cultivate a victim status in front of its own followers. It will also feed the absurd conspiracy theory, according to which the forces mocked by the AfD as "old parties" are a cartel that disregards the alleged will of the people.
The truth, however, is that a part of the people in the last election to the Bundestag wanted to have the AfD with 91 deputies and as the third strongest force in the German Bundestag moved. And there, according to the statute, she has a place in the presidency, as well as the other six parties. No matter if you like it or not.
The often-tried counter-argument that populists or radicals are made socially acceptable by their election to the Bundestag presidium is only partially convincing. The AfD, for example, became much more sociable by the fact that the SPD voted to join the Grand Coalition, leaving the AfD as the opposition leader. Gaulands troop is now the first to respond to any government statement. The chairmanship of numerous, even relevant Bundestag committees, she has also long held.
In video: Harder-Kühnel falls by election to the Bundestag Vice President by again
DPA
Of course it would be nice if the next Bundestag would not have to leave all these roles and posts to the AfD. A party that tolerates racists, anti-Semites, and conspiracy theorists in its ranks has something of a decadence for liberal democracy. But you will not get rid of this grueling force by holding your eyes, ears and nose and hoping that the haunting will go away by itself.
Instead of focusing on giving posts, all parties should consider why the AfD could become so strong that it could claim all of these important functions. What mistakes were made, what were the gaps in the programs that millions of people could wish to make a memo in the polling booth?
These crucial questions must answer who wants to protect democracy from its skeptics and enemies. If that succeeds before the next election, the problem with the Bundestag vice-president could be solved by itself in the future.