Fine for harsh disciplinary remarks planned - AfD wants to file a complaint - Brandenburg imposes fines on disruptive lawmakers amid fierce backlash
Brandenburg's state parliament has approved new rules allowing fines for lawmakers who disrupt proceedings. Under the changes, Parliament President Ulrike Liedtke (SPD) can now impose penalties of up to €500 for serious violations. Repeat offences within six months could lead to a €1,000 fine.
The governing SPD-CDU coalition pushed through the measures, arguing they target flagrant breaches of parliamentary order. Last year, the presiding officers issued seven formal warnings—five to AfD lawmakers and two to SPD members. Similar fines already exist in other state parliaments and the Bundestag, where penalties reach up to €4,000.
Opposition parties have strongly criticised the move. The AfD plans to challenge the fines in constitutional court, calling them an attack on free speech and objecting to their retroactive application. The BSW faction also opposes the sanctions, claiming parliamentary debate should remain free from threats of punishment. Previously, the SPD's coalition with the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) had blocked the introduction of fines. Now, with the new SPD-CDU majority, the rules have passed despite ongoing objections.
The fines will apply to lawmakers who commit serious violations of parliamentary dignity. The AfD and BSW factions continue to resist, while the coalition insists the measures are necessary. The constitutional court may now decide whether the penalties stand.
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