Following a protest organized by the SPD against the election of AfD member Tobias Rausch as the President of the State Parliament in Saxony-Anhalt, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) affirmed his belief that the National Anthem must not be left to right-wing extremists.
Speaking to the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (Friday edition), he explained that the gravity of the situation necessitated immediate action: “I realized we had to do something immediately given the dimension of this event. That’s why I took the microphone and suggested: Let’s go out and march to Bebelplatz.”
During the 20-minute walk, the idea came to him to sing the National Anthem at Bebelplatz, the historic location of the Nazi book burnings. Pistorius stated that his intent was clear: “It was clear what I wanted to express: that we, as democrats, must not allow the colors of democracy-black, red, and gold-to be taken over by the far-right. And that applies to the Anthem, of course.” He noted that this was the first time he had spontaneously publicly sung the Anthem.
The Defense Minister believes the reaction to this incident in Magdeburg was necessary. He added that “this unique event in the history of the Federal Republic required a unique response. Therefore, it was correct to react not just with words, but by taking action.”
Pistorius indicated that the public response to the singing was very positive. He clarified that the positive impact was less about his singing ability and more about the fact that the anthem itself was performed. He concluded: “The singing of the anthem apparently did many people good. It had the effect of self-efficacy.”
