Verbal attack in the Bundestag
SPD deputy has to pay a fine of 1,000 euros
7/7/2023, 4:17 p.m
Shortly before the summer break, the mood in the Bundestag is heated. Michael Schrodi, who sits in parliament for the Social Democrats, is also upset. He accuses the CDU of having made a pact with the AfD – and becomes abusive. Bundestag President Bas imposed a fine.
Scandal in the Bundestag: The SPD deputy Michael Schrodi became seriously abusive in the plenum against the presidium and other parties and now has to pay a fine of 1000 euros – a very rarely imposed penalty. “I’m really asking for moderation now, because I have to do something now, it really wasn’t easy for me,” said Bundestag President Bärbel Bas during a meeting, shortly before handing out the sentence.
Through him, “there was such a verbal attack on the presidency of the session and on individual members of this House that I have to rate it as a more than minor violation of parliamentary order,” said Bas.
Schrodi explained to “Stern” that he was annoyed because the CDU and CSU, supported by the AfD, wanted to quote Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck in the plenum, even though he had just spoken in the Bundesrat. “I went to the presidium and said to the CDU representative: doing such a bugbear together with fascists is unacceptable,” said Schrodi. “You don’t do things together with the far-right AfD.”
Final fine imposed on AfD parliamentarians
The SPD politician told the magazine that he wanted to accept the fine. “I will of course apologize to the Bundestag Presidium.” His statements came “out of the situation”.
The rules of procedure of the Bundestag state that the President can impose a fine of 1,000 euros “for a not just minor violation of the order or dignity of the Bundestag at its meetings”. In the event of a recurrence, this increases to 2000 euros. More serious violations of the rules could lead to eviction from the room and a ban on participation for up to 30 days of the meeting.
A fine is rarely imposed in the Bundestag. As a rule, the Presidium leaves it at a call to order. Most recently, in March 2018, a fine was imposed on AfD MP Petr Bystron because he photographed the ballot paper with his no in Angela Merkel’s secret election for chancellor and circulated it on Twitter.