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Glass wall with the text of the Basic Law in Berlin
Photo: Reiner Zensen / IMAGO
The traffic light no longer wants to delete and replace the word “race” in the Basic Law. The SPD, Greens and FDP factions have agreed on this. The “Rheinische Post” first reported about it.
In its coalition agreement, the traffic light actually agreed to remove the term “race” from Article 3 of the Basic Law. “No one may be disadvantaged or favored because of their gender, their descent, their race, their language, their homeland and origins, their faith, their religious or political views,” it says. The reason for the plan to remove the term from the Basic Law was the argument that the idea of human “races” is outdated and arises from racist theories.
Replacing the word is legally complicated, according to traffic light circles. Because another formulation would have to be found that guarantees the same, comprehensive level of protection. In addition, Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jews, recently emphasized that he was against the deletion. The word is reminiscent of the persecution and murder of millions of people, primarily Jews, said Schuster. The coalition says these concerns are taken seriously.
The Union welcomes the step. “Our Basic Law is too good for compulsive symbolic politics with unforeseeable legal consequences,” said Ansgar Heveling, general counsel for the Union faction, to the “Rheinische Post”. "Despite all the difficulties with the term, it has clear constitutional definitions and leaves no doubt as to its current application."
The federal states apparently do not share the concerns about the deletion. Thuringia and Brandenburg have already removed the term from their state constitutions. Saarland recently followed suit. Instead, it now says that no one should be discriminated against because of “racist attributions.”
so-called/AFP