AfD’s von Storch on German Flag’s Comeback: People Won’t Give It Up
Berlin parliamentary police told AfD lawmakers that waving the German flag outside the Bundestag might violate building rules, prompting the party to criticize restrictions on patriotic displays.
Beatrix von Storch, deputy parliamentary leader of the Alternative for Germany party, described the Tuesday incident during an appearance on Nius Live, calling the police response absurd and emblematic of a broader backlash against expressions of national pride in Germany.
Von Storch noted that the officers who confronted the lawmakers appeared uncomfortable with their own intervention, suggesting they had been summoned rather than acting on their own initiative. The police informed the AfD members that waving the German flag might constitute a breach of parliamentary house rules.
Ralf Schuler, political editor at Nius, characterized the incident as an absurd and ridiculous affair that seemingly embarrassed even the security personnel tasked with enforcing it.
The AfD deputy leader argued that opponents of patriotism are losing control across Europe. She asserted that right-leaning movements throughout the continent are reclaiming national pride that had been systematically discouraged in previous decades.
Rising Populist Sentiment
Von Storch said citizens have been conditioned away from patriotic sentiment but are now rebelling against that conditioning. She characterized the current political moment as one in which ordinary Germans refuse to accept policies made against their interests.
The lawmaker invoked the inscription above the Reichstag building, stating that elected officials owe their duty to the German people, not to the welfare of the entire world. She suggested that German retirees should receive support before resources are directed elsewhere.
The incident reflects ongoing tensions in German politics over national symbolism and identity. While the German flag appears throughout public life during sporting events and official occasions, its display in certain political contexts continues to generate controversy, particularly when associated with parties critical of mainstream migration and European integration policies.
The AfD has consistently positioned itself as the defender of traditional German national identity and has made opposition to what it terms excessive globalism a cornerstone of its political platform. The party currently polls strongly ahead of upcoming federal elections.
Parliamentary authorities have not issued a public statement clarifying which specific house rules the flag-waving might have violated, leaving questions about the legal basis for the police intervention.
With information from Nius
