The leader of the Left Party parliamentary group, Heidi Reichinnek, has called for Bundestag President Julia Klöckner to resign. Reichinnek stated that if Klöckner prioritizes courting right-wing elements over fulfilling her duties, she should step down, according to a report in the “Tagesspiegel”.
The call for resignation stems from Klöckner’s appearance at a summer party hosted by the CDU in Koblenz. The event took place at an innovation forum owned by a businessman who also co-finances the online portal “Nius”. During the reception, Klöckner reportedly drew a comparison between “Nius” and the “taz” newspaper, suggesting their methods and approaches were “not so dissimilar.
Reichinnek sharply criticized these comments, arguing that Klöckner is downplaying right-wing extremism and disinformation by invoking the concept of a political “horseshoe” – the idea that the far-left and far-right are closer to each other than they appear. Reichinnek further stated that Klöckner’s conduct normalizes practices seen in the United States, behavior she deemed highly problematic for a Bundestag member and “unbearable” for the President of the Bundestag.
Criticism extended beyond the Left Party. Wiebke Esdar, deputy parliamentary group leader of the SPD, told the “Tagesspiegel” that equating the “taz” with a platform like “Nius” was “completely inappropriate”. She emphasized the “taz’s” long-standing role in Germany’s diverse media landscape and its adherence to credible journalism, contrasting it with “Nius’s” polarizing and overtly political stance. Esdar warned that such comparisons undermine trust in independent media and blur the lines between critical reporting and opinion-making.
Irene Mihalic, parliamentary managing director of the Green Party, expressed similar concerns, stating that Klöckner’s appearance has rightly drawn criticism and that her defense of it is only worsening the situation. She pointed out that “Nius” disseminates narratives from the extreme right and sometimes resorts to spreading false information, a tactic she characterized as part of a right-wing strategy to normalize such content and present it as legitimate journalism.
However, CDU MP Pascal Reddig defended Klöckner, arguing that those who champion freedom of the press must also accept a broad range of opinions and journalistic offerings, a position he stated Klöckner rightly took and what should be expected from the President of the Bundestag.
