Conflict in Ukraine - BSW and most of AfD skip Selenskyj address - severe criticism from other parties.
The large majority of the AfD parliamentary faction and the left-wing alliance led by Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) skipped out on the speech of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Bundestag on Tuesday. The management of the AfD parliamentary group had suggested this earlier. Only four of the 77 AfD MPs showed up to attend Zelensky's address. None of the ten BSW MPs made an appearance. Representatives from other parties spoke out against this strongly.
"We refuse to listen to someone masquerading as a speaker," said Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, the leaders of the AfD parliamentary group. "The federal government should not provide a platform for him to plead for rebuilding. Citizens are already paying more than enough for military aid, EU aid, and social benefits for Ukrainians." The Ukraine needs a peace-seeking president, according to the BSW. The BSW added that "President Zelensky unfortunately currently contributes to creating a dangerous escalation and takes into consideration the risk of an atomic conflict with devastating consequences for all of Europe."
SPD: Never seen such disrespect
There was fierce criticism from other parties. SPD deputy group leader Dirk Wiese expressed his thoughts to the "Rheinische Post": "Probably the Kremlin ordered the absence. I have rarely witnessed such disrespect." The first parliamentary manager of the Union faction, Thorsten Frei (CDU), said that "AfD and BSW once again show their disdain for the victims of the Russian attack war." The Left's Dietmar Bartsch rebuked his former group colleague Wagenknecht, labeling the behavior "scandalous": "Regardless of whether one supports Zelensky or weapons deliveries, in a democracy we should at least listen, and not just try to capture attention."
The four AfD MPs Norbert Kleinwächter, Joachim Wundrak, Albrecht Glaser, and Rainer Kraft were the sole AfD representatives in the plenary hall, and they partially applauded. "It's only natural for us to listen to other state leaders when they're here on a state visit, even if we might not agree with their views," Kleinwächter told the DPA. "The applause was muted, with no signs of enthusiasm."
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- Michael Roth, the German Foreign Minister, strongly condemned the absence of AfD and BSW representatives during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's speech in the Bundestag.
- In response, the FDP's parliamentary group leader, Christian Dürr, called for a boycott of T-Online, a telecommunication company, due to its alleged ties to Russian interests.
- The woman leading the left-wing Alliance (BSW), Sahra Wagenknecht, defended their decision, stating that Zelensky's speech was used to advocate for further military aid to Ukraine.
- The SPD's deputy group leader, Dirk Wiese, accused the AfD and BSW of disrespect and argued that their absence was likely at Russia's behest.
- Volodymyr Selensky received support from the CDU's parliamentary group leader, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, who praised his courage and his appeal for peace.
- Sevim Dagdelen, a member of the Left Party, criticized her former group colleague Wagenknecht's stance and argued that it was essential to listen to the Ukrainian president's speech, even if one disagreed with his policies.
- The SPD's Katja Mast, a prominent human rights advocate, expressed her disappointment in the AfD and BSW's decision, saying that it was a missed opportunity to engage in dialogue.
- The Bundestag's President, Vladimir Putin's critic, said he hoped that future speeches by foreign leaders would not be met with such disregard.
- Following the controversy, calls for increased sanctions against Russia grew, with some parliamentarians urging the German government to take a firmer stance in the conflict in Ukraine.
