A Social Democrat (SPD) politician has resigned after admitting to drawing a swastika on a ballot next to an Alternative for Germany (AfD) politician’s name during a vote in the Baden-Württemberg state parliament.
SPD MP Daniel Born admitted to drawing the symbol and subsequently announced his resignation from the parliamentary presidium and parliamentary group.
Born said he “made a serious mistake” and it was done as a “knee-jerk reaction” during the voting process for the so-called Upper Rhine Council, according to a report from Tagesschau.
On Thursday, AfD politician Bernhard Eisenhut was one of two AfD MPs who stood for election as deputy parliamentary members for the Upper Rhine Council in Stuttgart, however, both AfD MPs failed to receive enough votes.
However, on one ballot marked “Yes,” there was a swastika written next to it.
In response, in the plenary session, State Parliament President Muhterem Aras of the Green party expressed shock.
“This is a criminal offense,” she said.
On Friday, Aras called on “the person responsible to resign from his or her mandate.” The State Parliament administration filed a criminal complaint against an unknown person with the State Parliament police station early Thursday evening.
It is illegal to draw a swastika in Germany, as it is deemed an unconstitutional symbol.
Born eventually admitted to drawing the symbol, but said it was not his intention to use the symbol against an AfD member.
“In a knee-jerk reaction, I wanted to show that votes for the AfD, no matter the election, are always votes for right-wing hate and incitement,” he said about the drawing.
Born said, “Being able to serve the state parliament as Deputy President was the greatest honor of my life.”
SPD parliamentary group leader Andreas Stoch said it was a serious mistake.
“For my parliamentary group and me, it is consistent and right that he resign from his position as Vice President of the State Parliament and has also announced his resignation from the parliamentary group,” she said.
The AfD is often portrayed as Nazis. In one carnival float, for instance, AfD co-leader Alice Weidel was portrayed as a witch holding a gingerbread swastika earlier this year. With defenders claiming such depictions are simply “satire,” many Germans on the right have now had their houses raided over similar “satire” directed at the left.
MORE – AfD leader Weidel was shown as a “swastika witch.”pic.twitter.com/IW6lVeZFKP
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