Kick-off in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt: Appeal for respect and democracy

At the start of the inaugural state parliament session in Saxony-Anhalt, senior president Eva von Angern (Left) appealed to the members of parliament's responsibility for democracy, protection of minorities and respectful treatment in parliament.

In her opening speech, the longest-serving member of parliament warned against a brutalization of the political debate and called for respect for the constitution and the state constitutional court. “It’s not about power and it’s not about being right,” said von Angern. Everyone has a duty to deal responsibly with what they find.

Sharp criticism of the election winner AfD

The left-wing politician also combined her speech with sharp criticism of the election winner AfD and the parliamentary manners of the past few years. “Parliamentary culture suffered significantly after the AfD parliamentary group entered the state parliament in 2016,” said von Angern. She criticized the fact that political opponents in the state parliament were also dehumanized, shouted down or treated without dignity. “We are role models – for better or worse!” At the same time, she highlighted Parliament's historical responsibility with regard to the National Socialist dictatorship, the GDR and the peaceful revolution.

Only 18 women in the new parliament

Von Angern also criticized the fact that the proportion of women in parliament had fallen to 21.7 percent. Out of a total of 83 MPs, only 18 are women. The proportion of women is particularly low in the AfD and CDU.