German Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll 20/106, pp.
12811-12812.
Frau President. Ladies and gentlemen.
The EU Parliament’s proposal debated today for a change of
the EU election law is an attack on the national states of Europe. The planned
changes are alien to the citizens and fundamentally undemocratic.
Of this are first of all the trans-national lists which certainly
have been often spoken of. The EU parliament shall be further enlarged,
initially by 28 seats. These shall then be filled by the European parties instead of by the national
lists of the recognized parties. This is a particular act of alienation of the
citizens. The European parties are largely unknown in Germany and in other
member states. Their positions on concrete political questions are unknown. The
citizen shall vote for persons whom he does not know and of whom he in many
cases simply cannot inform himself; since there is no EU-wide media public.
Information is here not routinely available in each man’s mother tongue. Yet
that fits the picture. You want uninformed voters who simply nod to your personnel
and positions. You want an EU central state with politicians who owe accountability
to no one. Transnational lists are in this way a momentous step which we of the
AfD oppose.
Christian
Petry (SPD): What nonsense!
Götz Frömming
(AfD): Super speech! Listen to what you can learn!
Jörg Nürnberger (SPD): No idea of Europe!
No less do we oppose the attempt to introduce compulsory
gender quotas for election lists. The EU Parliament’s proposal foresees precisely
this in the form of a zipper procedure [Reissvershclussverfahren].
That means that men and women are to be alternatively installed. This is obviously
unconstitutional. The Constitutional Courts in Brandenburg and Thüringen have
already decided corresponding regulations. Among others, here is put forward a
violation of the fundamental principles of the freedom and equality of the
vote.
Götz Frömming (AfD): The SPD is not interested.
To what unbelievable bleeding such gender quotas can lead
may be observed in regards, among others, the Greens of NRW [Nordrhein-Westfalen]
who in their statutes have consequently further developed the zipper procedure
and call it a “minimum quota”.
Lamya Kaddor (Greens): And now?
I cite with permission of the President from §1 of the Women’s Status of the NRW Greens:
Election lists fundamentally are to be filled by at least half women whereby the odd places are reserved for women. The election procedures are to be so arranged that, separated, positions for women and positions for all candidates will be elected. All women lists are possible.
Lamya Kaddor (Greens): Well cited!
This needs to be looked at clearly: With the Greens, for odd
places may only women be candidates, for the even, everyone.
Lamya Kaddor (Greens): With you, even fascists can be candidates!
If this should be democratic, then democracy in our country is
truly at an end.
Götz Frömming (AfD): Discrimination against men!
Not least is there today a restrictive clause in regards the
suffrage for the European election. What you here propose – the introduction of
a two percent hurdle – is a shameless circumvention of the legal ruling of the
Federal Constitutional Court. This had twice, in 2011 and 2014, declared
restrictive clauses for the European election to be unconstitutional. Now shall
one such be introduced by the avoidance of EU law. There is no sustainable
foundation for it. It is solely about building up the large parties’ sinecures
at the cost of the small parties. It is simply the arrogance of power.
In conclusion, we maintain: The plans of the EU election law
reform are undemocratic and in part violate the German constitutional law. It
remains to hope – it was certainly already pointed out – that across Europe
considerable resistance arises against it. It remains to hope that it never
becomes reality.
Thank you.
Götz
Frömming (AfD): Very good speech!
[trans: tem]
