Following several recent incidents provoked by the AfD in the North Rhine-Westphalian state parliament (Landtag), its president, André Kuper (CDU), is advocating for stricter sanctioning measures. Speaking to the “Rheinische Post”, Kuper commented on a new regulation established by the federal Bundestag: “The Bundestag has now instituted a rule where three warnings within a defined period automatically result in a fine of 2,000 euros. We do not have this automatic system, but it could be highly sensible.”
Kuper noted that this approach is receiving significant attention among the presidents of other state parliaments. Furthermore, he stated that the Bundestag’s regulation is likely to be subject to high-level legal review. “If the courts conclude that everything is legal, I would advocate for introducing a similar regulation in the NRW Landtag,” the CDU politician added.
He strongly dismissed the notion that this proposed legislation was merely a “Lex AfD.” Kuper clarified that the situation was not partisan but factual, pointing out that “75 percent of all disciplinary actions in our parliament involve the AfD, with the remaining 25 percent distributed among other members.”
Currently, the NRW Landtag uses a two-tiered system for disciplinary calls. If a violation of parliamentary order occurs, a fine of 1,000 euros can be imposed; if the infraction is repeated, that fine is automatically increased to 2,000 euros.
