On the anniversary of the first session of the Bundestag, former Federal Minister Baum calls for the defense of democracy. Meanwhile, a historian warns of enemies of democracy – and is interrupted in her speech.
The Bundestag has held a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of its first session. “Despite all the problems, we should not forget that in 75 years of the Bundestag we have proven time and again that we can overcome crises – despite tough controversies,” said Bundestag President Bärbel Bas. “Our democracy is strong and can defend itself against anyone who wants to harm it,” she added.
In his speech in parliament, former Federal Minister of the Interior Gerhart Baum (FDP) recalled the scepticism of foreign observers. They had questioned whether the Germans were capable of democracy. “Yes, they have proven it. They are capable of democracy,” stressed Baum. “Now they must prove that they are also actively defending democracy.”
The ceremony began with a recording of the opening of the first session by the then oldest member of the Bundestag, Paul Löbe. The Bundestag met for the first time in Bonn on September 7, 1949. “There was a celebratory mood in a country that otherwise knew only hardship,” said Bas, remembering that day.
Historian interrupted by heckling
In her speech, historian Christina Morina warned against anti-democratic trends. The logic of populist and extremist anti-parliamentarism has gained a greater reach through social media than it deserves in terms of votes.
This logic applies to “those who declare migration to be the mother of all problems, those who stylize proximity to the people as the measure of all politics, those who try to justify demands by referring to ‘the people’,” said Morina. During her speech, there were repeated interruptions from the AfD faction, which is why the scientist interrupted briefly at this point.
In addition to Bas’ predecessors, Rita Süssmuth, Wolfgang Thierse and Norbert Lammert, the ceremony was also attended by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and former Federal President Christian Wulff. The President of the Federal Constitutional Court, Stephan Harbarth, was also present.
Source: Stern
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