Despite protests from the city, right-wing extremists were allowed to hold an event in Schwerin's town hall, the judiciary decided. It undermines your credibility.

But access for the extreme right: the “central chamber of democracy”, the Schwerin town hall Photo: Pond5 Images/imago

Far-right people do far-right things. But do these enemies of the state have to organize their events in state venues? In Schwerin, the Third Chamber of the Administrative Court recently ruled that the Junge Alternative (JA) could use the Demmlersaal hall of the town hall of the state capital of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania for an event.

Last Saturday, editor and right-wing extremist Götz Kubitschek was also allowed to appear. The city administration and civil society tried to prevent it without success. A robust democracy does not seem to have been able to defend itself in this conflict.

On Saturday night, more than 100 people demonstrated against the event in front of city hall. A blockade at the entrance angered the JA, so they wanted to evacuate themselves. He didn't even wait for the police to officially lift the blockade. Daniel Fiß, former federal vice president of the far-right Identitarian Movement, tackled six people who were blocking them and Kubitschek pushed his way through, according to on-site observers. The action itself reveals that in these circles little attention is paid to the announcements of state power.

The city wanted to deny JA the use of the space it had initially been granted. The JA, which the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies as far-right, did not indicate in the rental that Kubitschek was the speaker.

An important sign

The Federal Office has also labeled the new right-wing Institute for State Policy (IfS), of which Kubitschek is a co-founder, as far-right. According to the city, the AfD youth received a permit fraudulently. Kubitschek's appearance was incompatible with the dignity of the house.

This is an important sign. Democratic spaces should not be unnecessarily opened to people who stand in the undemocratic tradition of the Conservative Revolution: a pure circle of gentlemen from the 1920s with a deep hatred of liberality, parliamentarism and democracy. Neither in local spaces nor in discursive space.

Even the CDU spoke clearly in favor of a firewall. Furthermore, they often do not come from oriental associations. The mayor of Schwerin, Sebastian Ehlers (CDU), told NDR that the Demmlersaal, where the city council meets, is the heart of democracy in the state capital and not a place for right-wing extremists.

However, the administrative court did not recognize these concerns. The JA called the court and pointed out that he had already given lectures in the Demmler room in the past.

The third chamber explained that the room was “in fact” a public facility and that the city also used it for political conferences and training events. The JA could invoke this ruling, also for reasons of the principle of equal treatment enshrined in the Basic Law. The fact that the Federal Office has classified both structures as far-right seems irrelevant. Access by those responsible will not be effective.

The demands of the countless demonstrations, with more than 4 million participants, that stronger measures be finally taken against the far-right enemies of the State within the framework of the rule of law have evaporated.

The courts are independent. A valuable legal interest that must be defended, especially against the AfD. But these right-wing extremists don't just want to play or provoke, they want to become more powerful so they can act and change. The courts should also perceive and take seriously what these circles say and write.

Words must be followed by actions.

And a Kubitschek becomes evident. In the scene's standard text, “Provocation,” he explains: “Our goal is not participation in discourse, but rather its end as a form of consensus, not a saying, but a different language.” a democracy in which consensus is fought. The other language that is used means that they want to set the tone.

And he clarifies it even more: “Why start a conversation, participate in a debate? (…) No, these resources have been exhausted and no words will convince them of the seriousness of our actions, only a slap in the face.” Such words have already been followed by actions. It is urgently necessary for all those responsible to follow their words with consequences. Then the access could be successful.