70 years is by no means a reason to forget old animosities. But on the contrary. Anniversaries in particular carry the risk of old wounds reopening. This is what happened this week in the hyphenated state of Baden-Württemberg. Just 70 years ago, Swabians and Badeners were forced together. And now this: For the state anniversary there is an event to which, among other things, the state parliament invites – but no Badeners. They feel excluded.
Baden Greens members of the state parliament therefore sharply criticized their party colleague and state parliament president Muhterem Aras in a letter. Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) assured that his government would take all parts of the country into account. But he also said: “I’m not doing a bathing quota now.” the Stuttgart newspaper summed it up in her headline: “Kretschmann no longer knows any people from Baden.”
The background is the event “Who we are! Who are we?” on April 27 in Stuttgart on the occasion of the state anniversary. Among other things, the state parliament and the state center for political education have invited – and the Swabian Homeland Association. The Baden state association was outraged that only Stuttgart and Württemberg organizations were involved. The suspicion arises that state politics “thinks in a centralistic, Swabian way and does without the participation of civil society in the Baden part of the state,” said a resolution passed on Thursday evening.
The former president of the state parliament, Willi Stächele, feels that the “Swabian horse” has stepped on him
The state parliament had rejected the criticism: the actual state parliament anniversary event was not until May 4th – and the people of Baden were there. Especially in an event that is about the unification of both parts of the state, more sensitivity would have been required, the Baden MPs added.
The former finance minister and state parliament president and “heart and soul of Baden” Willi Stächele (CDU) felt like he was kicked by the “Swabian horse” after the headlines. In his humorous reply, Stächele invited the “esteemed prime minister” to a wine hike in southern Baden, “so that the true importance of the upstanding tribe of the Baden people can come true”.
–
