Andreas Bovenschulte, the President of the Bundesrat and Mayor of Bremen (SPD), has rejected the claim made by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) that they stand for patriotism and national pride. Speaking on the podcast “Berlin Playbook” from the news magazine Politico on the occasion of the Day of German Unity, Bovenschulte stated that he would not accept the call for national pride coming from the AfD.
Bovenschulte referred to himself as a “constitutional patriot,” defining national pride as “the pride in what one has accomplished as a nation.” According to the SPD politician, modern Germany has been created, where human dignity, freedom, and democracy play a crucial role. This, he clarified, is fundamentally different from blindly proclaiming, “Germany, Germany above all.”
Looking toward October 3rd, he argued that greater emphasis should be placed on the achievements of reunification. He emphasized that while Germany was united, it was done in the spirit of freedom, democracy, and human dignity-qualities that warrant pride in what has been achieved, despite ongoing problems.
The Mayor firmly refuted the concept of patriotism as presented by the AfD, asserting that the party does not support justice or freedom. He criticized the party, stating that it seeks to deny fundamental rights to a large portion of the population and is opposed to free media, independent courts, and academic freedom.
At the same time, Bremen’s Mayor defended the need for a strong boundary against the AfD. He described this boundary as necessary against political forces that reject human dignity, freedom, and democracy, and which advocate for an ethnically homogeneous public community. He stated that this differentiation from such groups must be executed clearly and decisively.
