A contentious incident involving the discovery of a swastika symbol within the Baden-Württemberg state parliament has prompted accusations and heightened political tensions. Following the discovery on a ballot box used during a recent election, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) parliamentary group has publicly suggested that the symbol was placed by a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) or the Green Party.
AfD parliamentary group leader Anton Baron stated that the ballot box in question was “clearly used only by members of the Green and SPD parliamentary groups”. He added that this, in his view, indicates the presence of individuals holding extremist views within those parties. Baron described the incident as “unfathomable” alleging that elected representatives were committing politically motivated offenses within the parliamentary building itself.
The incident occurred during the election of the Upper Rhine Council, in which AfD representative Bernhard Eisenhut was a candidate. Eisenhut has reportedly filed a criminal complaint against unknown parties, citing the use of unconstitutional symbols, defamation, coercion, slander and intimidation of elected officials. The AfD has characterized the actions as a deliberate attempt to undermine the electoral process and target their elected representative. Investigations are underway to determine the origin and purpose of the symbol.