Brandenburg

Pupils explore the state parliament and also speak to members of parliament – such political education formats are considered to be tried and tested. For Brandenburg AfD MP Dennis Hohloch – himself a teacher – a discussion with primary school children has a sequel. He spoke to 9- to 12-year-olds about gang rape and migration.

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Other factions reacted indignantly and called for consequences. State Parliament President Ulrike Liedtke (SPD), who accused Hohloch of breaking the rules and taking the students by surprise, summoned the AfD politician for a private meeting. A debate about possible consequences has erupted.

Basically, the question keeps coming up: should AfD politicians, who often quickly polarize, be invited to discussions with students and events at schools? Are teachers and their classes well prepared, and at what age do series of discussions with MPs make sense?

According to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the AfD is considered a suspected right-wing extremist party in Brandenburg. In Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt, there is no longer just a suspicion, but the party is classified as definitely right-wing extremist, which means that it pursues anti-constitutional goals.

State Parliament committed to the principle of neutrality

State Parliament President Liedtke shows no understanding for Hohloch’s comments because, she said, he had not taken the age or level of knowledge of the students into account. The so-called Beutelsbach Consensus, which sets out guidelines for the political education of students such as a “ban on overwhelming”, forms the basis for the rules in the state parliament. “The rule that students must not be overwhelmed was broken here,” Liedtke is convinced. Due to the requirement of neutrality, she cannot exclude individual MPs or factions from such events. However, she now wants to look more closely at the formats for children and young people, it was said.

Yellow card for AfD parliamentarians?

“He got himself a yellow card,” said Benjamin Winkler, project manager of the Amadeu Antonio Foundation and office manager in Saxony. “Political education with children and young people should follow the rules of the Beutelsbach Consensus. If there is no improvement, the state parliament should consider not allowing someone like that to take part in events with children or young people anymore.”

Schools have difficulty dealing with the AfD

The Education and Science Union (GEW) is aware of controversy over whether school administrations should leave the – democratically elected – AfD out. It believes it is important to seek external advice and support in order to prepare well for the discussion rounds.

In federal states where the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies the AfD as definitely right-wing extremist, schools are prohibited from working with the party because the educational mission of schools is committed to the goals of the Basic Law, said Winkler of the Amadeu Antonio Foundation. “Nevertheless, many schools find it difficult to deal with the AfD, and not all of them turn down an invitation from the party to hold discussions with students.”

Hohloch: Format not suitable for primary school students

State Parliament to examine sanctions and revise student formats

Other factions believe that it is up to the state parliament presidium and the state parliament administration to take action against misconduct and revise event formats with schoolchildren. SPD MP Uwe Adler believes it makes sense for the state parliament administration to also use its house rules to expel MPs from the room. The CDU faction says: “It must now be examined how such a clear violation of existing rules can be sanctioned. The presidium must consult on this.”

“We consider statements on topics such as war violence or sexual violence aimed at overwhelming and inciting fear towards primary school children who have not yet come into contact with these topics to be highly problematic and over the line,” said Green Party parliamentary group leader Petra Budke. She and SPD politician Adler were present at the discussion, but other parliamentary groups were not.

Improve communication with young people?

The Anne Frank Education Center in Frankfurt am Main called on the other parties to increase their activities on the video platform Tiktok. Their weak presence on Tiktok gives the false impression that the AfD is primarily concerned with the concerns and fears of young people. Winkler, project manager at the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, also said that some AfD politicians are better trained in rhetoric and in addressing young people than other parties.

Pupils explore the state parliament and also speak to members of parliament – such political education formats are considered to be tried and tested. For Brandenburg AfD MP Dennis Hohloch – himself a teacher – a discussion with primary school children has a sequel. He spoke to 9- to 12-year-olds about gang rape and migration.

Other factions reacted indignantly and called for consequences. State Parliament President Ulrike Liedtke (SPD), who accused Hohloch of breaking the rules and taking the students by surprise, summoned the AfD politician for a private meeting. A debate about possible consequences has erupted.