Raumzoff: SPD politician Mast rejects AfD “false information”

Do the Social Democrats keep their traditional conference room – or do you have to hand it over to the right -wing populist AfD? Almost two months after the Bundestag election, it is still unclear whether the shrunk SPD parliamentary group could actually lose its boardroom to the strengthened right-wing populists. Now the space dispute goes into the next round.

The AfD is currently spreading that an official decision on the room question has been made internally – according to which the AfD even has left behind. As a result, the SPD should be allowed to keep its traditional hall, but the AfD must be satisfied with the significantly smaller faction hall of the FDP.

The AfD again in the victim role? In the SPD you are irritated. “I wonder where the AfD comes from your false information,” says Katja Mast, the executive SPD parliamentary group manager star-Inquiry. The representation of the AfD is wrong, because: “There is no decision yet.” The awarding of parliamentary rooms is regulated in the rules of procedure. “It depends on clear parliamentary processes – not according to the volume of a faction.”

Previously, the AfD had registered interest in the larger Otto-Wels-Hall. The AfD faction has grown from 77 to 152 MPs after the Bundestag election. According to its worst result, the SPD has only 120 seats since 1949. The AfD therefore needs larger premises than before.

But the hall has a historical meaning for the SPD. His name is reminiscent of the former SPD chairman Otto Wels. The SPD faction has been in the room since moving to Berlin in 1999. In a historical speech, Wels founded the SPD’s no in the Reichstag in 1933 on the Nazi power of power. “Freedom and life can be taken away, not the honor,” he said. Now the right -wing extremist AfD wants to move into the rooms.

The previous SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich is touched: “I don’t want to give up the Otto-Wels-Hall,” he said. Every time he meant something to go past the portraits attached in the hall of those who had not bent for the National Socialists. He finds the possible loss of space for the SPD as a “deep wound”.

Katja Mast, the executive SPD parliamentary group manager, also emphasizes the importance of the hall for the Social Democrats-and shows that it does not want to add small in the question of space. “Of course, as a SPD parliamentary group, we will continue to negotiate the room questions in the coming weeks,” she told that star“Always in the awareness of the great historical importance of Otto Wels, his resistance to democracy and his great speech against Hitler’s empowerment law.”

The spatial distribution in the Reichstag building usually depends on the strength of the political groups. According to the Bundestag administration, the hall is not officially called that. Theoretically, the SPD could also move to another room and name it after the former chairman. The possibility of technical conversions is also considered.

Shortly after the Bundestag election, the Union had signaled openness to discussions. “These things must now be discussed between the political groups and the president,” said Patrick Schnieder, Parliamentary Managing Director of the Union Group, at the time. Of course, the new AfD parliamentary group should be taken into account. “But there is no automatic access to certain rooms,” said the CDU politician.

Usually the political groups come together at the beginning of each election period to discuss this question. The room question is decided in the Council of Elders, usually unanimously. However, a decision could also be made by a majority – for example through a shoulder closure of the Union and the SPD, which is expected to enter into a coalition.

For the potential alliance, this would have both practical and symbolic importance: the meeting rooms of the Bundestag factions of the CDU/CSU and the SPD are located right side by side.