German Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll
19/194, pp. 24536-24537.
Frau President. Worthy colleagues.
It occurs to
me a bit like before: „Und täglich grüsst das Murmeltier” [And daily greets the groundhog/marmot].
Once again we discuss a FDP motion on digitalization. The government shall “take
the pandemic seriously as a wake-up call” – so far, so good. We of the AfD have
here associated with five motions – for one, the demand for a digital ministry
for the bundling of competences and for a structured procedure concerning
digitalization in Germany. We daily receive evidence that this is urgently
required. Yet the government actually appears to shut its eyes to this so that
it need not see it. Otherwise, the inactivity is not to be explained. Instead,
endless discussions between the Union and the SDP: The ministry is coming, the
ministry is not coming. – It is the same chaos in regards digitalization. No
wonder that here nothing happens.
We moreover
demand the commitment of artificial intelligence in public administration for
the deconstruction of bureaucracy and so as to form it more efficiently. The government
up to now does not once put forward a complete overview of all uses and pilot
projects for administrative AI and it also has not yet obtained this overview for
itself. AI applications are the future, whether you want that or not. Not to
make Germany ready for that is a gross negligence, ladies and gentlemen.
We want the
start-up assistance in the lockdown crisis to be distributed fairly; the present
package of measures was unsuited to the real market conditions and causes a
distortion of competition in favor of well provided risk investors. Moreover,
we of the AfD are of the opinion: The state is not the better businessman. It
has to create the parameters and otherwise keep out.
Our motion [Drucksache 19/23347] for digital aid for
families and youth in the crisis was implemented as part of the law for the
digitalization of administrative procedures in regards the guaranteeing of
family benefits. And though the coalition delegations self-evidently rejected
our previous motion, I say: Thanks for the rapid implementation – the AfD
works!
Later here will
also be discussed our motion for a national mortality register which has
already been rejected in the committees. Certainly in times of Corona, I hold
that to be absolutely irresponsible. The
death rate in Germany must be better and faster collected. Such a register
would considerably facilitate a timely identification and awareness of groups
at risk. Moreover, thus would be achieved a quick understanding of pre-illness
factors on the risk of death. Initially in June, the Leibniz Information
Center for Economics demanded the synthesis of such a register. For long, the Council
for Social and Economic Data expresses itself for that. And the Federal
Commissioner for Data Protection also recommends such a statutory regulation. All
speak in favor of our motion, and you also know that. To reject it for the
usual reason, that it comes from the AfD, harms Germany, ladies and gentlemen.
Florian Toncar (FDP): What is bad for Germany, is good for the AfD, I once have heard!
And thus we are again at Groundhog Day, or at Berlin’s Greatest Show. For once let us be honest: The government parties on principle reject the motions of the opposition, no matter how good they are. Some, you yourself take up, like the one demanded by the AfD for the completion of the NIS [Network Information Service] and its obligatory implementation: The motion rejected here in April, to conclude precisely that here last week.
Mathias W. Birkwald (Linke): Ja, so functions the opposition!
It is clear
to me, sooner or later the mortality register will again emerge here in plenary
session and will be passed – not, when all is said and done, under the AfD logo.
Yet we also know the little games of the opposition parties. Thus the FDP rejects in committee our motion for a digital ministry,
Patrick Schneider (CDU/CSU): (To the FDP) You do what? That is horrible!
yet demands, in this motion put before us today, precisely this digital ministry. What shall that be? What does not agree with you?
Franziska Brantner (Greens): Don’t you know the difference between ministries and authorities? My goodness!
Dear colleagues, this play-acting can no longer be taken seriously. You appear to have forgotten why at all you have been elected here to the Bundestag: To make the best policy for Germany. It becomes high time that the welfare of our country and the welfare of our citizens were placed above partisan tactical games, ladies and gentlemen.
Martin Rabanus (SPD): Thus speaks the righteous!
Good motions are good motions, no matter from which party they come.
Patrick Schneider (CDU/CSU): Good
motions just never come from you!
The quicker they are implemented, the better for us! So long as that does not occur here in the sovereign house, is what we contrive here more appearance than substance [mehr Schein als Sein].
Patrick Schneider (CDU/CSU): Yes, in regards to you!
Vice-president Claudia Roth: Please consider the speaking time.
That, the
citizens out there truly do not deserve. In that sense: The motion of the FDP
demands in many places what is right. We are to discuss all of that in
committee.
Many thanks
and good evening.
[trans: tem]