Almost 80 calls to order in the Brandenburg state parliament so far

Parliament - Almost 80 calls to order in the Brandenburg state parliament so far

The number of order calls in the Brandenburg State Parliament has significantly increased during this legislative period. According to information from the German Press Agency, 77 order calls were recorded in 109 sessions up to the special session on the previous Thursday. In the previous legislative period, there were fewer than ten calls. The climate in the state parliament has thus become significantly rougher since 2019. The AfD-faction leads the list for this legislative period.

AfD deputies have received a total of 58 order calls. The most were given to Parliamentary Leader Dennis Hohloch with 15, followed by Lars Hünichen with nine and Fraktion Chairman Hans-Christoph Berndt with seven. The Left faction has received 13 order calls, four of which went to Fraktion Chairman Sebastian Walter. Deputies from the SPD, CDU, and Free Voters each had two order calls by June 27. The Greens have not received any order calls yet.

Landtag President Ulrike Liedtke, Vice President Barbara Richstein, or Vice President Andreas Galau issued the warnings for various reasons. In several cases, it concerned statements that did not meet the requirements of the Presiding Chair. However, there were also order calls for disturbances, constant interruptions, or criticism of the chairmanship.

From "Blood on Your Hands" to "Rumpelstiltskin"

An order call went to the AfD deputy Hünichen in June for saying to other parliamentarians regarding Corona vaccinations: "You esteemed colleagues, you also have blood on your hands." The Parliamentary Leader of the AfD fraction, Hohloch, received an order call in April for referring to Constitutional Protection Agency employees as "henchmen."

The Left deputy Ronny Kretschmer received an order call in 2023 for the sentence: "Sit down, you Rumpelstiltskin!" CDU politician Frank Bommert received an order call in 2021 for wearing a medical mask instead of an FFP2 mask. The spokesperson for the Free Voters, Péter Vida, received it in April of this year for bringing an orange - the symbol of the Free Voters - into the plenary hall.

When the President or the President identifies behavior or speech that is suitable for violating parliamentary dignity or order, they call the relevant deputy by name to order. This is stated in the Landtag's business rules. If a deputy is called to order three times in the same speech and warned of the consequences of a further warning, they face the threat of word withdrawal or exclusion from the session.

1. The increase in order calls during the election period has significantly impacted the atmosphere in the Brandenburg State Parliament.
2. Hans-Christoph Berndt, the Chairman of the AfD faction, has received seven order calls during this legislative period.
3. The SPD, CDU, and Free Voters each have two deputies who have received order calls by June 27.
4. The German Press Agency reported that the AfD-faction has received the highest number of order calls during this legislative period.
5. The Landtag President issued a warning to Dennis Hohloch, the Parliamentary Leader of the AfD fraction, for referring to Constitutional Protection Agency employees as "henchmen."
6. The spokesperson for the Free Voters, Péter Vida, received an order call for bringing an orange into the plenary hall.
7. According to the Landtag's business rules, a deputy who is called to order three times in the same speech and warned of the consequences faces the threat of word withdrawal or exclusion from the session.

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