German Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll 19/238,
p. 31011.
Herr President. Ladies and gentlemen.
We here need to clarify what we are dealing with: The
parliament’s supporting act prolongs a sustained consent of the Bundestag to an
already running evacuation operation. Despite that, this sustaining mandate is
essentially symbolic. The Federal government ten days ago sent paratroopers and
the KSK [Special Forces Command] to Kabul
and thereby made facts. Even if the majority in this house were to refuse to
vote in favor: These are faits accomplis and the Bundestag’s vote therein
changes nothing.
Yet in this symbolism the government now does something
shameless. You say: Who does not vote for this mandate leaves our soldiers in
the lurch. – This is the same government which still in March agreed to the
prolongation of the endless mission, the same government which slept through
the Taliban offensive, and the same government which ignored the warnings of
the German embassy, the same government which started the evacuation of German
citizens 48 hours too late, and the same government which sees all others as
responsible for this gigantic failure, only not itself.
Right honorable Federal government, it is not for you to
decide here and today who stands behind our soldiers and who not.
For my delegation it is beyond question that we have always
and everywhere supported the rescue of Germans from great danger. In the case
of Afghanistan, that also pertains to the registered local auxiliaries [Ortskräfte]. Yet just as we feel
ourselves responsible for the security of Germany and Germans in foreign lands,
we fight for the security of Germany itself. And here we see the Federal
government thereby begins to repeat its catastrophic loss of control from the
year 2015.
Ladies and gentlemen, I will vote in favor of the Federal
government’s mandate. My symbol is the rescue of Germans from a great danger. Yet
I also understand each of my delegation colleagues who reject this mandate because
they therein already see the core of a renewed wave of refugees to Germany and
Europe;
Alexander Lambsdorff (FDP): What nonsense!
Henning Otte (CDU/CSU): Contrived!
for them, the symbol is the domestic security of Germany.
Germany’s security and the rescue of Germans – the AfD stands for both.
Ladies and gentlemen in the coalition bloc, you are
obligated to the policy of your Chancellor – we not; in the voting, we follow
our consciences.
Thanks.
Aydan Özoğuz (SPD): Because you have none!
[trans: tem]
