Bernd Gögel, October 7, 2021, All-day School

Baden-Württemberg Landtag, October 7, 2021, Plenarprotokoll 17/14, pp. 591-592.

Frau President. Ladies and gentlemen.

Yesterday we here heard something of the distinctive worldviews. I have now heard one and want here in the hall to speak for another.

Herr Minister-president, you speak of the best possible education for children, of qualified, skilled workers. We are simply amazed how previous generations without all-day schools produced skilled workers, how the industrial revolution and the economic miracle of the postwar time were possible without your selfless effort in the Bundesrat.

Ladies and gentlemen, your statement on the debt brake is also of interest to me. According to the Herr Minister-president, that shall be guaranteed. To continue to await that is however actually a lofty notion.Your Green State chairman Detzer noted succinctly:

There is not a debt brake in the world which will prevent us from making Baden-Württemberg climate neutral.

When for you, Herr Minister-president, education is as exactly so important as the climate, then you need to presently declare the debt brake obsolete.

The question is: Is education really important to you? Just now was it made known that in the education monitor’s ranking of Federal States Baden-Württemberg has dropped a further place, in fact from fifth to sixth place. That is a trend which continues since the beginning of the Green participation in government. Which might have purely nothing to do with the absent all-day schools. Moreover, Saxony as before is at the head of the educational monitor in Germany. Wherein do we of the AfD recall that? In the results of the recently conducted Bundestag election.

            Sascha Binder (SPD): Ach!

In Saxony have clearly more people voted for the bürgerlichen parties than in other areas of the Bund – perhaps with exceptions in Thüringen.

            Andreas Stoch (SPD): The bürgerlichen or the rightist radicals?

These people want to maintain the achievement principle in education and in society – in contrast to you, ladies and gentlemen.

At another place in your government declaration, the background of all-day supervision is actually dealt with factually, with – this is nicely re-written – “the better compatibility of family and occupation”. The AfD has no objection to that, even if we of the AfD would first prefer to establish that with tax relief and means of family support. For us, that would be the first step.

Ladies and gentlemen, if parents decide to themselves supervise their children in the afternoons and want to have time for that, that should be possible and be promoted – and with care-helpers and parcel carriers, Herr Minister-president, which you introduce here as examples. On that point, I am somewhat amazed, since somewhat later in your speech you spoke of “families remote from education” [bildungs-fernen Familien]. Thence for me certainly arises the question: Who is meant by “remote from education”? I hope that you have not thereby meant the care-helpers and parcel carriers, since that would naturally be a fully inappropriate characterization.

It should be possible for you in any case to grant that this compatibility of family and occupation is the background of this legislation – and plainly not the quality of education. For I here want to for once quite clearly ask one thing: Instruction for Grundschul children between seven and ten years from early morning until late afternoon? That was certainly not meant by you, ladies and gentlemen.

Thus acknowledge the true background instead of ever again placing educational opportunities in the foreground. So as to say it clearly: We, the AfD Landtag delegation, basically agree to a legal claim to all-day places for Grundschul students. This requirement will not only be seen in the population but also in the many groups referred to in the corresponding offerings. One of which was already mentioned today: The single parents in the population in Baden-Württemberg. There are presently a total of 380,000 Grundschul students and 2,440 Grundschulen, and 765 of these Grundschulen presently offer all-day supervision. Interesting is the number of those who use this offer: Of the 152,000 who had the opportunity, 80,000 presently partake of it, the portion of which is something over 50%. From that can thus be derived that for approximately 200,000 all-day Grundschul students would be expected additional investment and operations costs.

The appropriations presentation, Herr Minster-president – with much self-praise – was surely a bit remote from reality. Since if your argumentation was listened to – prior to the negotiations in the appropriations committee, the Bund wanted to participate with a maximum of 50%, and may now be at 70% – , it needs be said: That is not quite right. Since here is always “up to”, and there is a cap at 3.5 billion € for the Federal portion of the investment costs. You would have already been able to previously undersign that – which is of course a zero-sum game.

It previously was already at 3.5 billion € in regards the calculated investment costs. The improvement – which needs be deemed by you as a success – is in regards the operations costs, for which the Bund in the preliminaries wanted to undertake nothing, and wherein now in the end nevertheless significant improvements have been attained.

This round with the “plus/minus null” reckoning in regards the investments can also naturally still backfire. This round can also still go into minus because we do not know how many families will claim this offer for their children, how high the investments in fact will be and whether then also it is not again attempted to shove onto these rails urgent construction restorations and other investments in the schools area. We can only demand of you to put an end to such efforts in good time so that these things will quite clearly be separated one from another.

Your statement on Baden-Württemberg’s influence in the Bund was likewise very interesting. Since this influence is clearly very important to you personally. We thence actually proceed, ladies and gentlemen, to that that should be self-evident. Baden-Württemberg is as before the third largest Federal State. The State always had an influence in the Bund, yet in the last years, especially in the last two legislative periods, unfortunately no longer in the form of also having had leading political figures in the top positions; their number becomes fewer and fewer. It is, taken with a bit of irony, certainly nice that a Green Minister-president needs hold high the flag of Baden-Württemberg in Berlin, and the once great bürgerlichen party in Baden-Württemberg can there generally no more assert an influence.

The hollowing-out of federalism runs rampant [Die Aushöhlung des Föderalismus greift um sich]. The Bund keeps the States on a short leash so as to be able to somewhat better control them. It is thoroughly positive that the Herr Minister-president is engaged in opposition to that.

On the proposal to set up a federalism commission: We can quickly set up commissions; we therein have great experience. Circles of chairs we form relatively free of interruption. But it makes no sense when here the corresponding guidelines have not been given and all are also willing to attain that – that means a new redistribution of means in Germany, more means for the States and more means for the localities for the maintenance of their duties. For that, the distribution of sales taxes clearly needs to be changed. We ourselves speak for that and here also we support you.

I want to expand on your statement as to what is in the State Constitution concerning upbringing [Erziehung]: In our Basic Law also are important, elementary articles concerning upbringing. I cite Article 6, paragraph 1:

            Marriage and family shall enjoy the special protection of the state.

Further is stated in paragraph 2 – and this is quite decisive:

The care and upbringing of children is the natural right of parents and a duty primarily incumbent upon them.

Here we have distinctive worldviews. I therefore bring up this article from the Basic Law. Your attempt to for once introduce all-day supervision on a voluntary basis is worthy of all respect; the offer needs be there. But we know you and expect that sooner or later you will introduce this as being obligatory. It is in the genes of the Greens and the reds to want to politically accompany and form the people from the cradle to the grave. And to that, we are decisively opposed, ladies and gentlemen.

            Anton Baron (AfD): Precisely that is the point! And the CDU just looks on!

            Sascha Binder (SPD): Jesses Gott!

 

[trans: tem]

           

 

 

 

 

 

Bernd Gögel, January 21, 2021, Corona Pandemic

Baden-Württemberg Landtag, Plenarprotokoll 16/140, pp. 8043-8046. 

Frau President. Ladies and gentlemen. 

All that we have heard this morning was more or less statements sounding the same on the decisions and present conditions in the Corona crisis. You will not be surprised that here the AfD naturally has a completely different estimate. 

Actually, I thought that you – primarily the government delegations – might not dare to speak this morning on the topic of vaccination. Since on the topic of vaccination I had already spoken here 14 days ago and had held up to you your general failures with your surrender of responsibility to the EU for the distribution of the vaccine. We hold that up to you as previously, since here you, on a decisive point – namely, your responsibility for the Daseinsvororge [care for the existence] of the people in Germany –, have failed, ladies and gentlemen. 

For vaccination as a whole, we have here heard terms like “greyhound races” or “vaccine Bundesliga”. Here, I must quite honestly say: You perhaps make here a snail’s race and if you keep up the present pace, you will in fact in eight years have managed – this is also again an arithmetic problem – to vaccinate the people of Baden-Württemberg. Yet for eight long years, the people may not participate in your game here, ladies and gentlemen. This you may recognize in many expressions. Even the media at the moment are thereby more or less critically inquiring. What you have neglected in the first two years, I must also hold up to you in this place. 

Herr Reinhart, when you reproach Herr Baron that he with a question evidently remains below his potential, then I say to you: In regards the fight against Corona, you have already surrendered any credibility at all in your potential. It will therefore not surprise you that we, the AfD, demand that you immediately end your unspeakable Corona policy. 

It may not be allowed that the lockdown, in our view introduced without parliamentary-democratic legitimization, will be maintained and even intensified, ladies and gentlemen. The scientifically gathered numbers demonstrate that the lockdown offers no protection to the vulnerable groups of our society. By means of your preventive measures will coming generations be burdened with debts scarcely capable of being repaid and entire branches of industry will be irreparably damaged. Here also, Herr Reinhart, there can be proposed no distinction between restaurants, hotels, retail trade and industry. You after all may not prioritize: Who stands before the exit, and who may continue to work? Who has a future, and who has none? That assuredly is not right in these areas. You disproportionately and arbitrarily interfere in the basic rights and the rights of freedom of the citizens of our State. 

This is your Corona strategy – if one at all wants in this connection to use the term “strategy” – these are your long-term concepts – if one at all wants in this connection to use the words “long-term strategy”; that is to say, we see none. That is absolutely unacceptable. 

The future preventive measures in the fight against Corona nevertheless require a parliamentary-democratic legitimization, ladies and gentlemen. Your Corona experimental policy lacks equilibrium and balance between the necessary protection of health, a guarantee of basic rights and rights of freedom, the citizens’ quality of life and economic stability. This is completely lacking in your actions.  

You favor specific articles of the Basic Law. In an illegitimate body, you decide over which Basic Law articles will have validity and which not. 

            Christina Baum (AfD): Capricious! 

Ladies and gentlemen, our basic rights are not negotiable. This pertains to all the citizens of our country. 

Dep. President Sabine Kurtz: Herr Member Gögel, one moment, please. – Herr Member Dr. Balzer, you know quite exactly that no “demonstrations” may be upheld here  – 

Rainer Balzer (AfD): I have it down again. 

Christina Baum (AfD): Ja, we understand. 

– Yes, but immediately. Herr Member Gögel, please proceed. 

As there are no citizens of first or second class, so also are there no basic rights of first or second class – and not for the vaccinated or not vaccinated, ladies and gentlemen. For this discussion burns quite slowly. One can almost actually be happy that the vaccination still proceeds at a snail’s pace. Otherwise, the discussion would be much further along. If today a vacation paradise like Greece is for a European vaccination pass, and the Herr Foreign Minister pleads that those vaccinated should receive special rights, I say: I forewarn you of this debate. Therefore: Repeal your lockdown measures. Guarantee to all citizens their basic rights.   

Herr President, what do you think, which answers would we have to expect if you today would start a poll on the question, “Freedom or health”? We, the AfD, and with us a great majority of the people, would choose freedom. 

Christina Baum (AfD): Jawohl! It is exactly so! 

A man who lives in bondage [Unfreiheit] can never enjoy his health, neither bodily nor spiritual. 

Ladies and gentlemen, behind bars, honey tastes bitter. On January 17, the “Berliner Zeitung” published a poll on the question, “What do you think: In this crisis, do the Federal government and the Senate do good work?” 94% of the respondents had criticized the government’s crisis management with regards to the fight against the pandemic and the duration of the lockdowns. We are convinced that in Baden-Württemberg a comparable result is to be expected. 

On March 22, 2020, thus scarcely two months after the first detected case of the SARS-COV-2 virus on German soil, the Federal government and the States agreed on the first preventive measures for fighting the Corona virus. Since that time, a hand-made crisis has developed in the Federal Republic of Germany, let loose by your serious political miscalculations. The only recognizable strategy of those bearing responsibility consists of a strung-together series of lockdowns, the scientific effectiveness of which 

            Christina Baum (AfD): Going-out blockades! 

is ever more contested. 

And in other countries, and in Europe, see and recognize that a stringing together of lockdowns is not to the point. You want to reduce incidence numbers. You reduce these, you open, and then what happens? Then comes the third wave followed by a new lockdown, then comes the fourth wave. The economy, the society and our country will not endure that. 

These preventive measures, decreed without scientific evidence, only and alone underline your helplessness, your action for action’s sake, together with the Chancellor’s and your incapacity for serious failure analysis. 

Dep. President Sabine Kurtz: Herr Member Gögel, do you allow an interim question from Herr Member Dr. Fiechtner? 

I have a difficulty with the time. The time already runs on prior to the suspension. If I later have time, gladly. 

There can be no talk here of effective protection of health. 

Let us come to your new Corona decisions which today the parliament simply acknowledges and then with your governing majority will then confirm, according loosely to the motto: The family father buys a car and two days later converses with the family on the equipment. 

            Anton Baron (AfD): It is exactly so! 

By chance, one looks in on the parliament – 

            Nicole Razani (CDU): That’s not true!           

            Anton Baron (AfD): Show politics! 

no democratic relationship, no logic, no sense. The first decision which you have reached is the extension of the lockdown to February 14. In regards to the first lockdown during last year, you had oriented yourselves on the R factor alone, although at the announcement of the first lockdown it already lay below the value of 1.0 desired by you. In regards the present lockdown, it is no more about the the R factor, but about a seven day incidence value of a maximum of 50 tested per 100,000 residents. Where does this number come from? The number resulted from the opportunities of tracking by health officials, and then your argumentation ceased; you are keeping something quiet. 

            Anton Baron (AfD): Mystery figures! 

This number is based on an insufficient technical and personnel investment in the health offices. 

In regards technology, the health officials find themselves in this area to be on the level of a third world state, ladies and gentlemen. The officials are not networked with one another, still work with telefax and land line telephones, and most likely with Excel tables which will be filled out by hand. Here, we are miles – miles! – away from a functioning digitalization. 

You have had a year to improve the situation. I do not purport that in the last 20 years you have undertaken nothing here. Yet after the first lockdown, after the first catastrophe which you have caused, you have neither in education nor in healthcare – in regards the schools and the health offices – undertaken anything, and must come down to the value of 50 because you otherwise cannot track the events. On this basis, you have agreed to an extension of the lockdown and have decreed this despite declining incidence numbers, despite hospitals which are not over-burdened. 

Apropos hospitals: You should perhaps once again mention here in parliament and out there amongst the citizens that you in the last ten years have closed 30 hospitals in Baden-Württemberg, 

            Christina Baum (AfD): Jawohl! 

and indeed predominantly in rural areas. 

            Christina Baum (AfD): Exactly! 

You should on that account for once state the truth as to why we here today perhaps have a discovery in regards the capacities. Here also, a further failure in the Daseinsvororge may be spoken of. 

The second decision which you have reached concerns day-care and schools. My preceding speaker, who as a teacher comes from this professional area, has already occupied himself abundantly with this. These establishments also shall until February 14 remain closed. 

What we have to chalk up against you is: You totally disregard that the children and youth, the over-charged parents and the teachers are suffering. The latter still do not have at their disposal a unified teaching platform, let alone adequate internet connections so as to be able to smoothly carry out instruction or distance instruction. 

Over this neglect we have since – – We have now advocated here in parliament for five years. I ever again have a déjà vu. We ever again speak in circles. Hopefully we do not speak yet again in circles for five years. Here you conceal your failures in the area of digitalization. You neglect your duty to educate and – this is the worst – you approvingly make allowances for the long-term consequences for these children, ladies and gentlemen.  

The third decision which you have reached is a home office duty. When presence in the workplace is required, the employer must first make available medical masks. This will still be the smaller problem. The employers must also submit accounts to the government and establish why they cannot send their employees to a home office. We, the AfD, with the best will, cannot conceive of this bureaucracy monster which you thereby want to create. 

The trades unions and employers reject your home office duty for Baden-Württemberg. Martin Kunzmann, chief of the Southwest German Trade Unions Association, sees such a regulation as counter-productive for many employees. He said to the dpa on Monday in Stuttgart – I cite: 

            It ought not be forgotten that not all employees can without problem                                     work at home, because they have either no suitable workplace or 

– now it comes again – 

            internet access… 

Here again the question comes to you: Do you recall the years of discussion over your neglect of digitalization? The home office presents for many businesses not only a financial and organizational but also a data security burden. You are obliged to be well acquainted with these problems from your own administrative officials. 

Ladies and gentlemen, we now come to the core topic of your disoriented Corona policy, to the nose and mouth protective covering. But first I want to clear up a small error – perhaps also in the dpa report of yesterday morning. Here in the plenary hall there is in place no duty to wear a mouth and nose covering. 

            Nicole Razani (CDU): Exactly. Say that to Herr Sänze! 

At the beginning of the pandemic, you had declared to the citizens that the covering of mouth and nose produced nothing, Frau Razani. You had declared this to the people at the beginning of the pandemic – perhaps not you personally, yet surely your party. The background of your statement was something completely different. You were concerned already at that time about the lack of a stockpile of masks and all other protective equipment items in case of a pandemic. Yet in March, Health Minister Spahn had got underway a hastily knitted together contract in open house proceedings for the procurement of protective equipment. Partners to the contract were any supplier who was in a posititon to deliver at least 25,000 masks by April 30. 

It was probably devoid of result. Astonishingly, 700 suppliers were in a position to fulfill these conditions. Nevertheless, a large portion of these suppliers are now sitting on these masks which they must put into storage because the Health Ministry does not take possession. The suppliers after a year still await payment for these makes. 

Ladies and gentlemen, does your recent decision on the obligatory wearing of medical masks – in Bavaria, it is even FFP2 masks – perhaps indirectly have to do with your renewed logistical failures? From the medical viewpoint, the OP and FFP2 mouth and nose protective masks offer no defense against a viral infection. According to a statement of the DEKRA [vehicle inspection association], the FFP2 masks are unsuitable. I cite: 

The masks are for the purpose, when declared to FFP2 masks or KN95 masks, completely unsuitable 

            Heinrich Fiechtner: Exactly! 

Ladies and gentlemen, the Robert Koch Institute has felt that the use of the FFP2 masks, especially by persons who belong to an at-risk group, should ensue only after individual conference with or individual consultation by a doctor. 

In addition, the FFP2 masks basically should not be made use of multiple times, since it is a matter of a one-time product. Therefore we, the AfD, have from the beginning demanded that in the at-risk groups certified FFP2 masks are to be placed at the disposal of the older people, if you want to protect them; and this at no cost. 

            Heinrich Fiechtner: FFP5, I would say. 

            Christina Baum (AfD): FFP100! 

The State government did not require these masks but still as before favored short shawls and even hobby patches [Kurzem Schals und selbst gebastelte Läppchen]. Now the government has ordered the obligatory wearing of OP or FFP2 masks in the ÖPNV [public transport] and retail business, although they do not protect against viral infection and are only sold at horrendous prices. That is an imposition for families, since for this a family of four shall expend 300 to 400 euros per month. 

Ladies and gentlemen, before you lies the resolution motion of the AfD delegation. This motion demands a complete change of strategy in the policy to fight Corona. I request you support this motion so as to really achieve a turnaround in this policy. 

            Heinrich Fiechtner: Frau President, where is the mask? 

I come to a conclusion, ladies and gentlemen. Freedom, basic rights, federalism, self-determination before foreign rule [Fremdbestimmung] 

            Christina Baum (AfD): Jawohl! 

and subsidiarity are the foundation of our thought and action in the AfD. You could take up some of these points. 

Many thanks.

 

[trans: tem]

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

           

 

 

Bernd Gögel, January 8, 2021, Corona Pandemic

Baden-Württemberg Landtag, Plenarprotokoll 16/139, pp. 7987-7991. 

I first want, and in the name of my delegation, to wish all of you here in the sovereign house and the citizens in the State a good New Year with the best of health. 

The year 2021 unfortunately has not begun with the desired light at the end of the tunnel. We are still miles away from the promised vaccination, Herr Minister-president. Our basic rights are as before disempowered and in this wrong-way drive of decrees, one cannot with the best of will speak of democratic processes. Ladies and gentlemen, we here come together multiple times to a special sitting to debate over the decisions of a body not capable of decisions.   

            Heinrich Fiechtner: Quite right!

I ask you, the State government: When will you finally re-establish an orderly, democratic process?

            Daniel Rottman (AfD): Very good. 

Of “orderly”, we understand: Initially the parliament consults and reaches its majority decisions and in that connection you, Herr Minister-president, can debate with the Chancellor in so far as you still see the need. 

Ladies and gentlemen, Baden-Württemberg is a Federal State. The subsidiarity principle must again attain recognition in this State. Depending on the competence, the decisions must be made here in Baden-Württemberg and carried further through Berlin to Brussels – and not the reverse, ladies and gentlemen. 

What you are doing here is a disempowerment of our Federal principles and a neglect of parliamentary government in our State, ladies and gentlemen. 

            Andreas Stoch (SPD): At most, no idea!

At the end of the past year, with your saviour, the Corona vaccine, you promised the citizens the light at the end of the tunnel. Before Christmas, you, Herr Minister-president, had very emotionally stated the following, I cite: 

            …the people will be vaccinated, and then it is over with this pandemic…

            Heinrich Fiechtner: Exactly! He said that! 

The reality unfortunately appears otherwise. It is still dark in the tunnel. What you had ignited is a small tea candle beside the tracks in this tunnel. Yet of light, one cannot speak. The state of vaccine availability is a disaster, ladies and gentlemen. The Chancellor alone first of all bears the responsibility for this situation. Nevertheless, we cannot relieve you of your co-responsibility, Herr Minister-president, and you, Herr Lucha. 

Why does the Chancellor especially bear responsibility for these failures? Already in June of the past year, Health Minister Jens Spahn and his colleagues from France, Italy and Holland had spoken of modalities like delivery numbers, conditions and contract negotiations. Frau Merkel was suspicious of these negotiations. She designated them as nationalist…She whistled back her Health Minister; she wanted that these negotiations be led by EU Commission President von der Leyen for the entire EU. I only say to you: Look at the state of the Bundeswehr, then you are able to form for yourself a picture of the capability of the Commission President. 

The humiliation of Jens Spahn was nevertheless not enough for the Chancellor. She compelled from the four health ministers a letter of apology to the EU Commission President. Here, we should grant credibility to the “Bild” newspaper, even when in this letter Bonn stands in as the sender. That leaves me personally somewhat doubtful, yet it is to be credited in any case. 

A cold-blooded demonstration of power and a new false decision with wide-ranging consequences for one’s own people – as already in regards the currency policy, the energy transformation and the refugee crisis, ladies and gentlemen. 

With his efforts on behalf of the vaccine procurement, Health Minister Spahn had in view care for the existence [Daseinversorge] of our citizens. The Chancellor apparently does not know this term. These were undesired and unhelpful, as she so often stressed in her speeches. And why? Because the Chancellor prefers to put the vaccine procurement in the hands of Brussels, because she prefers to hand over full power to the Brussels centralized EU ruling body instead of to the health ministers of the national states, ladies and gentlemen – as if Brussels was now already the capital of Germany. What was the result? The Daseinversorge for the citizens of our country was neglected. It amounts to a failure of the EU’s socialist planned economy philosophy. And why, ladies and gentlemen? Because at the EU level, the decision process demands much too much time, because with 27 individual interests it can never arrive at a rapid result. 

Here, where it is about the lives of the citizens in our country, in their view Brussels is the completely wrong decision level, ladies and gentlemen. 

            Anton Baron (AfD): Speed, speed!

Ladies and gentlemen, while other countries, like for example Israel or the U.S.A., by the end of the first quarter of 2021 want to and indeed will vaccinate a large portion of their population, the EU, and primarily Germany, move at a snail’s pace. It they continue the pace of the first two weeks, they will require in the best case six years, and in the worst case ten years, to have in fact vaccinated all those who are willing in this country. 

            Hans-Ulrich Sckerl (Greens): Such nonsense.

– Figure it out.

Ladies and gentlemen, those responsible in our State and in our nation have here to a grave degree violated their oath of office to avert harm from the German people.   

Ladies and gentlemen, an investigating committee in Berlin in regards these vaccine procurement failures of the Federal government, the Chancellor and the State executives, is the least which must be demanded. 

Another aspect which also this morning was still not cleared up: Concerning the whole debate over vaccination, we should more intensely bring into focus voluntary vaccination. The government ever again expounds on this aspect; if one however listens to members of the ethics council, like Herr Professor Henn who wants to make available no intensive-care beds to vaccination opponents in case of a Corona infection, then one may be justified in asking: For what should such scientists be on an ethics council?   

Christina Baum (AfD): Exactly!

Ladies and gentlemen, besides voluntary vaccination there is the question of the safety of the vaccine. It has quite astonished us, the AfD, that even the developer of the BionTech vaccine, Ugur Sahin, does not trust his development. He presently does not want his co-workers to be vaccinated because he fears failures resulting from side effects. That is not very reassuring, and provides the vaccine sceptics with fresh breath. Ladies and gentlemen, it must be left to each citizen himself whether he wants to live with or without vaccination. 

President Muhterem Aras: Herr member Gögel, do you allow an interim question from Herr member Dr. Fiechtner?

In the second round. At the moment, I want to bring my address to an end because the speaking time is running. 

Many citizens perceive a vaccination as an intrusion upon bodily integrity. 

            Christina Baum (AfD): It is an intrusion!

This opinion is worthy of respect. No law can and may disempower people’s free will, ladies and gentlemen. It may under no circumstances come to a discrimination of vaccination opponents. I here cite Jean Jacques Rousseau: 

The freedom of man does not lie in that he can do what he wants, but that he need not do what he does not want.

            Christina Baum (AfD): That is very good!

Let us come to the latest decrees, which you today will ratify with your governing majority, not in fact presently at hand but which will nevertheless emerge, and which next Monday will enter into force. 

We, the AfD, as before hold your preventive measures to be wrong and not purposeful. Now even the Federal government indirectly concedes that your previous preventive measures were not to the point. And you, Herr Minister-president, also must concede that the danger of infection exists not, as was supposed before the second lockdown, principally in lodgings and retail business, but principally in workplaces, in private households and the much affirmed ÖPNV [public transportation network]. Please explain here to the citizens in our State why such apparently senseless preventive measures were decided on and their currency now still prolonged. 

Ladies and gentlemen, a household shall now be allowed to meet with one other person. Well and good, yet 50 examples could be brought here over which you yourselves would burst out laughing. 

Let us take one, a household of five persons. When any of these persons have met with one additional person, they have all together met with an additional five persons. That would be allowed. Where please is the logic here? 

            Christina Baum (AfD): There is no logic there!

A better example: A family member who wants to take out the garbage meets in the corridor persons from three additional households. Since it is forbidden to these people to meet, the family member must set down the garbage, probably midway, and take himself back to the dwelling. Yet on the way from and to work, this man – let us call him Herr Mustermann – sits in an overflowing ÖPNV with 40 additional persons who belong to 40 other households. That is desired and permitted. 

            Winfried Mack (CDU): Then where is there an overflowing ÖPNV?

– Look at the practice. You do not ride the train. 

            Christina Baum (AfD): Because all drive autos, right? 

If anyone in his free time wants to meet with friends, he may do so with one other person. 

            Christina Baum (AfD): Pure chicanery! 

Ladies and gentlemen, that has no logic; that yields not sense. That may become no long-term situation.  

            Heinrich Fiechtner: That is a sadistic chicanery! Pure sadism! 

Let us come to a further, in our view, senseless Corona preventive measure. As a consequence of unreliable numbers, data, facts – neither the RKI [Robert Koch Institute] nor health officials with their testing centers could deliver reliable data over the holidays – the school openings will be further shifted back. Now it is said that possibly from January 18 the children might again be sent to day-care or to in-person instruction in the Grundschulen. Whether that will actually happen – the Herr Minister-president has pursued that – will be decided next Thursday. The people must thus again adjust themselves to quite short-term alterations. It will be done as if to regulate simply everything in the families. 

Why cannot the children be separated – a portion at school, a portion digital at home – for instruction? Because for one, two decades we have slumbered through digitalization in this country. Your statements do not place it foremost. You have for decades swept this topic under the rug and have not brought it forward decisively. Here, other countries are further. 

            Christina Baum (AfD): Clearly! 

In Germany, we have WLAN in 25% of the school buildings – 25%!  Why were the citizens of our country tested less during the holidays? Because the test centers and health offices had closed. Closed! They also had a holiday. 

Surely if you speak of a catastrophe on a national scale, surely if you take these and those preventive measures and reduce the rights of the citizens, surely if you disempower our Basic Law, then for that you should be most obliged to concern yourselves so that you receive reliable and valid numbers from the test centers and health offices, even during the Christmas holidays, ladies and gentlemen. That is quite decisive.   

            Christina Baum (AfD): Exactly! 

            Heinrich Fiechtner: Yet it is still not right! 

Ladies and gentlemen, to make perfect the chaos of decrees, you want to further reduce the radius of movement. If in a city or district the incidence figure rises over 200 positive tested per 100,000 inhabitants, people may move from their place of residence only up to 15 km. I am happy that in the Enz district now, the figure has again gone below 200; I can therefore speak here this morning. 

Our Minister-president quite quickly perceived that his decree could be senseless and absolutely harmful for his re-election and therefore declared himself prepared to be unwilling to implement it. 

Ladies and gentlemen, we, the AfD delegation, had already at the beginning of the first lockdown held your preventive measures to be false. We had already then indicated that the hotspots and possible dangers of infection lay elsewhere; not in the restaurants with their excellent implementation of the hygiene prescriptions, and not in the hotels and not in the barber shops, but in the industrial workplaces, in the household areas and in the ÖPNV. We therefore demand of you: End this unspeakable lockdown, finally put forward a long-term concept of how you want to protect the especially endangered groups of people, finally relieve the lack of personnel in the hospitals, stop considering the further closing of hospitals. 

            Christina Baum (AfD): Yes, that is decisive! 

Go on the offensive, advertise for care and hospital staff. That would be a sensible preventive measure. Make available medically-certified FFP3 masks without cost to the vulnerable groups, create shopping times for vulnerable groups and seniors and inform the citizens in our State of that, 

            Anton Baron (AfD): Exactly! 

how they can best defend themselves against the virus and best be able to strengthen their immune systems. Relieve the ÖPNV – the area where so many people meet one another – with additional taxis and buses for seniors. As an example, I commend your Oberbürgermeister Palmer in Tubingen. 

           Anton Baron (AfD): It is so! 

The citizens of our State should for the present change to their own vehicles – that is now the safest means of transportation – so to protect themselves from infection. 

Ladies and gentlemen, on the whole the AfD stands for self-determination before external determination. That is the essential aspect. With your fear and hysteria debate, you have lost every perspective. 

            Heinrich Fiechtner: Absolutely! 

You ever again forget to mention that in regards to serious cases of illness, measured by the entire population, we are moving on a scale of thousandths. 

            Christina Baum (AfD): Yes, exactly! 

You mention not a syllable of this aspect. 

Finally procure valid numbers, especially for the present degree of infection for the entire population. These data are indispensable, together with the vaccinations, and in view of the percentage of those willing to be vaccinated, to ascertain a foreseeable end to the pandemic. That is the light at the end of the tunnel – when you finally lay on the table these scientific numbers. 

We, the AfD delegation, call upon the citizens of our State to continue to critically examine the State government and at last – not only on grounds of the the recent failures in regards the vaccine procurement – vote them out of office on March 14, 2021, ladies and gentlemen. 

 

 

[trans: tem]