A decided and unifying sign of all democratic parties against right-wing extremism and populism was the aim of this example of our counsel services in 2011. The “Berlin consensus” was developed in collaboration of MBR with VDK-Projekt „Auseinandersetzung mit Rechtsextremismus in kommunalen Gremien Berlins“. Representatives of all parties then publicly signed the paper.
What was the issue?
In September 20011, elections for the Berlin Chamber of Deputies and district councils took place. The extreme right party NPD and the right-wing populist parties „Pro Deutschland“ and „Die Freiheit“ ran for election. Their racist posters were put up all over the city. There was increasing fear that they might win numerous mandates in the district councils and possilby even seats in the Berlin Chamber of Deputies.
What it means when right-wing extremists are successful in elections became evident in 2006. Then, the NPD won several seats in four district councils. Since then, NPD members had repeatedly gained attention with racist or historical revisionist provocations. Several times, courts had to decide if their statements constituted the criminal offense of sedition. At last, NPD chief Udo Voigt was convicted after he exalted the Waffen-SS in a coucil speech. Voigt announced he would go into revision.
How could we help?
MBR and our partner project „Auseinandersetzung mit Rechtsextremismus in den kommunalen Gremien Berlins“ could make clear the urgency and importance of the topic and provide a detailled constellation of the problem in Berlin. The longstanding experience with campaigning strategies of right-wing extremists and the analysis of their course of action within the councils proved helpful. Furthermore, the appearances of populist groups on the right spectrum has been covered and analyzed by MBR from the beginning. This made it possible for MBR to effectively moderate the discussion of the party representatives, and assist in drafting the “Berlin consensus”.
What did we achieve?
At a big press conference in MBR’s offices, the chairmen and -women of the parties respectively their deputies declared that they would not offer an arena for racist propaganda and inhumane viewpoints of the right-wing extremists and populists. This clear-cut message of the “Berlin consensus” was spread further into the city via posters, post cards, and extensive media coverage. With success: The “Berlin consensus” facilitated that in the run-up to the elections, the Berlin civic society almost univocally opposed racism and anti-democratic attitudes. Despite their massive campaigns, NPD, „Freiheit“, and „Pro Deutschland“ did not succeed in charging a racist atmosphere in the city. They remained isolated. The chances for successful results of the three parties on the far right in the elections were minimized.
„Die Freiheit“ and „Pro Deutschland“ evidently failed on September 16, 2011, with only little more than one percent of votes. The NPD clearly lost votes as well and missed their re-entry into Neukölln’s district council. In Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Treptow-Köpenick und Lichtenberg, the NPD entered the district councils, but lost the crucial parliamentary group status as only two of the three seats necessary were reached.
What’s next?
Despite their loss of votes, the NPD continues to be active in Berlin, as do the populist parties „Pro Deutschland“ and „Die Freiheit“, by adopting topics relevant for different districts. In the district councils, the representatives of the NPD act as “carers” for the citizen’s concerns. On the other hand, racist abuse and targeted right-wing extremist provocation keep happening on a regular basis.
The democratic parties continue to be presented with the challenge to establish an informed and united counter-position in order to reject right-wing extremist and populist activities. Furthermore, accentuating democracy and human rights is an urgent task in politics. MBR will continue to observe the course of action of the extreme right in the respective districts and support the democratic parties with their counsel services.
The Berlin consensus (quoted in full, German only):
In den vergangenen fünf Jahren haben die rechtsextremen Verordneten der NPD in den BVVen, in denen sie Mandate erringen konnten, vielfach rassistische und geschichtsrevisionistische Anträge eingebracht. Ein wesentliches Ziel rechtsextremer Gremienarbeit ist die gezielte Provokation mittels menschenverachtender Rhetorik, die zum einen an die eigene Klientel gerichtet ist und zum anderen der Skandalinszenierung dient. Der Berliner Konsens der demokratischen Parteien in den BVVen ermöglichte es, rechtsextreme Initiativen in den Gremien geschlossen abzulehnen und darüber hinaus öffentlich dazu Stellung zu beziehen und die Strategien rechtsextremer Verordneter aufzuzeigen.
Am 18. September 2011 stehen die Wahlen zum Berliner Abgeordnetenhaus und zu den Bezirksverordnetenversammlungen an. Anlass zur Sorge geben den unterzeichnenden Parteien neben dem wiederholten Antritt der rechtsextremen NPD in diesem Jahr auch rechtspopulistische Parteien.
Die NPD vertritt einen unverhohlenen biologistischen Rassismus sowie menschenverachtende Positionen und schreckt dabei auch nicht vor Gewalt zurück.
Die rechtspopulistischen Parteien instrumentalisieren gesellschaftliche Fragen und soziale Problemstellungen dafür, Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund und hier insbesondere Muslime als Verantwortliche für die dargestellten Probleme zu kennzeichnen.
Angesichts dessen sind sowohl die demokratische Parteienlandschaft als auch alle Bürgerinnen und Bürger Berlins aufgefordert, Stellung zu beziehen. Die unterzeichnenden Parteien haben sich auf ein gemeinsames Vorgehen verständigt und erklären:
Menschen vor Ort ein.
Besonderer Dank gilt der Mobilen Beratung gegen Rechtsextremismus Berlin (mbr) für ihre Unterstützung beim “Berliner Konsens”.
30.06.2011: Vorwärts | Berliner Parteien gegen Rechts
29.06.2011: Mut gegen rechte Gewalt | Dem Konsens verpflichtet
29.06.2011: Der Tagesspiegel | Parteien für Einheit gegen Rechtsextreme
29.06.2011: Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten | Parteien für Einheit gegen Rechtsextreme
28.06.2011: Süddeutsche Zeitung | Schulterschluss gegen Rechtsextremismus
28.06.2011: Netz gegen Nazis | Berliner Konsens gegen Rechtsextremismus