Tuesday, October 19, 2021
Just get away from the AfD
Left supports FDP in swapping seats in the Bundestag
The FDP has not wanted to sit next to the AfD in the Bundestag for a long time – so far it has failed with this request. Now she is getting help from the other side: The Left has full understanding and wants to support the FDP with the new seating arrangements. Also looking back on “events like in Thuringia”.
The Left supports a new seating arrangement in the Bundestag and wants to help the FDP to give up its seat next to the AfD to the Union. “Every democrat who no longer wants to sit next to the AfD has my full support,” said the parliamentary manager of the Left Group, Jan Korte, on Monday yesterday. “In the opposition we had a trusting cooperation with the FDP, especially when it came to civil rights or the rights of parliament,” he added as a reason why the left wanted to support the liberals.
As early as October 9th, there were reports that the FDP would like to swap places with the Union – which, however, vehemently rejects this. Switching seats is politically sensitive in connection with the formation of a traffic light coalition. Because the FDP is on the one hand on the fact that the SPD and the Greens give the new partner the necessary majority against the CDU / CSU. On the other hand, the three traffic light parties want to give the impression that they are forming a coalition of the center – this would be visually underlined by the fact that they now occupy the center seats in the Bundestag.
Sign that “processes like in Thuringia” will not be repeated
Left-wing politician Korte provided another reason why his parliamentary group wants to support the liberals’ wish: “I also see the desire to no longer sit next to the AfD as a sign that the door is open for cooperation with the right-wing extremists AfD is closed once and for all and processes like in Thuringia are never repeated, “he said, alluding to February 5, 2020 in Erfurt. At that time, the FDP politician Thomas Kemmerich had himself elected Prime Minister in the Thuringian state parliament with votes from the AfD.
The FDP had already started an attempt in 2017 to no longer have to sit next to the AfD, but it failed. However, the prospect of a traffic light coalition gives the Liberals hope that their wish can be fulfilled with other majorities in parliament.