"Never has a Federal President abused his office in such a way" – Massive criticism of Steinmeier's speech: "A president who crosses the boundaries of his office"
"Never has a Federal President abused his office in such a way" – Massive criticism of Steinmeier's speech: "A president who crosses the boundaries of his office"
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has triggered a fierce political debate with his speech on 9 November. Fierce criticism of Steinmeier's speech: "No Federal President talks like this"
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has triggered a political controversy with his speech on 9 November. In unusually sharp words, he warned against the strengthening of right-wing extremist forces and spoke out in favor of the possibility of a ban procedure against the AfD. While supporters speak of a necessary warning, the opposition accuses the head of state of open abuse of office.
A speech with explosive power
On the so-called "fateful day of the Germans" – 9 November, which commemorates three historical events (the proclamation of the Republic in 1918, the Kristallnacht pogrom in 1938 and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989) – Steinmeier used the podium at Bellevue Palace to give a keynote speech on democracy and loyalty to the constitution.
Without naming the AfD, he stressed that the "instrument of banning political parties" was an expression of a "defensive democracy".
He said:
He said:
"Our constitution allows parties to be banned if they are aggressively and militantly directed against the free democratic basic order. Anyone who takes the path to hostility to the constitution must always reckon with the possibility of a ban."
At the same time, he appealed to all democratic forces: "We must not lose any time. We have to act – and we can act!"
Firewall and exclusion of enemies of the constitution
Steinmeier called for a clear demarcation from extremist parties and groups. "There must be no political cooperation with extremists – not in the government, not in the parliaments," he said. If this excludes parts of a democratically elected parliament from the design, "then this exclusion is itself chosen".
In addition, the Federal President spoke out in favour of people who openly oppose the fundamental values of the constitution not being allowed to hold public office – neither as judges, teachers nor soldiers.
Kubicki and Broder shoot back sharply
FDP Vice President Wolfgang Kubicki called the speech "an impertinence" and spoke of a clear abuse of office. "No Federal President talks like that," Kubicki said, describing Steinmeier's appearance as "scandalous".
The publicist Henryk M. Broder also found clear words:
"This speech was actually scandalous. No German president talks like this – but this is not the first time that Mr. Steinmeier has been overwhelmed. I would like to know who wrote this speech. He should be sent to Cuba on probation to help with the harvest until he understands what democracy is."
Broder also referred to Steinmeier's sentence that "there should be no political cooperation with extremists". For Broder, this statement is emblematic of dangerous political self-importance: "If part of the democratically elected parliament is excluded as a result, Steinmeier calls it 'self-elected' – that is pure cynicism."
A president in the headwind
Steinmeier, on the other hand, stressed that democracy must be able to defend itself – even against internal enemies. At the same time, he warned of the dangers of hate and disinformation in social media and called for stricter rules for young people. "The future of our democracy will be decided on the Internet," said the president.
The fact that ARD and ZDF did not broadcast the eagerly awaited speech live caused additional discussions. Both broadcasters explained that the speech was later published in its entirety in the media libraries.
Conclusion
The speech, which was intended as a call to defend democratic values, instead exposed a deep political division. Between those who see Steinmeier's words as the duty of a vigilant president and those who see them as an attack on the political neutrality of the highest state office.
One thing is certain: this speech will reverberate – and possibly be discussed longer than any other of his term in office.
Author: MF-Redaktion
(Sources: Handelsblatt, dpa, ntv, BILD, Reuters, WELT)
