Press
After attacks on politicians have increased, calls have become louder for punishments to be toughened. But not everyone thinks they make sense.
Berlin – Amid the recent attacks on politicians during the election campaign, the call for faster-acting solutions is becoming louder. But after an attack on Berlin’s Economics Senator Franziska Giffey (SPD) fueled the discussion about a harsher reaction over the course of the week, rejection of such tougher punishments is now increasing.
FDP politician Konstantin Kuhle warned on Friday ARD “Morning Magazine” from giving the impression “that we only punish things more harshly because politicians are affected”. In addition, it is “unworldly to believe that you can guard all election campaigners and elected officials around the clock.” Nevertheless, attacks on politicians must be responded to quickly and investigated.
Attacks are “an expression of social brutalization” – but Kuhle doesn’t want any harsher punishments
Kuhle sees the cases as an “expression of social brutalization,” which, according to him, is due, on the one hand, to the fact that “after Corona, we are observing an increase in violence in many areas.” On the other hand, there is increasing linguistic brutalization in politics. Overall, such incidents are a “big problem for our democracy” because they “make people think twice about running for public office.”
The AfD-Chairman Tino Chrupalla commented in RBB also on the debate about increased punishment and emphasized that there is “no two-class society”. A politician is “nothing better than a normal employee or employer who is on the street every day”.
AfD denies responsibility – conflict researcher calls for local prevention measures
Chrupalla rejected any responsibility his party had for the attacks. He emphasized: “I don’t want to start saying now that harsh criticism – and that is allowed in political competition, including during election campaigns – should automatically be stopped, or that every word has to be weighed on the gold scales.” At the same time, the AfD emphasized Chief that physical violence should “never be a means of political debate”.
The sociologist and conflict researcher Andreas Zick also spoke out against harsher punishments. He explained that “after years of polarization, aggressive enemy images of politics have prevailed,” as he explained Editorial network Germany announced. Mistrust of state institutions has increased, which has led to “an overall greater approval of political violence in the middle of society.” Among other things, the European elections now represents “an opportunity for those” who “share images of the enemy and have long thought they had to set an example”. Instead of tightening laws, Zick believes it makes more sense Violence prevention and conflict management at the local level to promote. (tpn)
#Attacks #politicians #FDP #parliamentary #group #vicepresident #harsher #penalties