Bundestag debates attacks on journalists at AfD party conference in Erfurt

Background of the incidents

For the AfD, member of parliament Glaser spoke. He criticized that violence against the political right is apparently considered explainable in the Bundestag. He also described the Bundestag as a "mental laundry for left-wing violence". Glaser also emphasized that press freedom applies to everyone.

On the part of the CDU, member of parliament Klein took the floor. She said that in the attacks, left-wing extremist perpetrators had become accomplices of right-wing extremist perpetrators. Klein pointed out that the dangers to democracy lay both in the right-wing and left-wing spectrum.

Positions of the parliamentary groups

Member of parliament Lindh also condemned the attacks on journalists. She stated that it was an "irony of history" when the AfD presents itself as the guardian of press freedom. Lindh added that the AfD's notion of freedom of expression apparently only encompasses the freedom for one's own opinion.

Representatives of the Greens and the Left joined in the criticism of the AfD's stance on press freedom. They pointed out that the AfD calls public-service broadcasting "Lügenpresse". Furthermore, they expressed that the AfD wants to abolish democratic institutions.

Origin of the topic

The AfD parliamentary group had requested the Current Debate Hour on the incidents. In doing so, it placed the topic on the parliament's agenda itself. During the debate, the positions of the parliamentary groups partly clashed clearly.

A report on the debate was broadcast on 08.07.2026 on Deutschlandfunk. The underlying article was written by Pia Schulz and published in the Tagesspiegel as Tagesspiegel Plus. The piece is therefore behind a paywall.