Members of the German Bundestag have been asked to refrain from wearing a particular flower during a debate this Friday marking the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide.
A spokesperson for Bundestag President Julia Klöckner (CDU) confirmed to the “Rheinische Post” that the fundamental principle of parliamentary debate dictates that it should be driven by spoken words, not by symbols, stickers, or other demonstrative objects. Discussions within the parliamentary leadership have led to a decision to generally discourage the wearing of symbols in the main assembly hall throughout this parliamentary term.
The request comes as members of the SPD parliamentary group intend to wear lapel pins shaped like the distinctive white and green flower used to commemorate the Srebrenica genocide. This emblem comprises eleven white petals, representing the date July 11, 1995 and a green central element. White symbolizes those who were unjustly killed, while green represents hope.
