Analysis: AfD’s Humor in the German Parliament
A study conducted by the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung” has revealed some interesting insights into the political humor of the German parliament. The analysis of all Bundestag protocols from 2024 and the first two sessions of the new parliament found that the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has the highest number of laughter moments per member. The study, which distinguished between laughter and amusement, showed that the AfD had an average of 4.54 laughter moments per member, compared to 1.84 for the Union, 1.06 for the SPD, 1.59 for the Greens, 1.03 for the FDP, 0.11 for the Left and 0. for the BSW.
Regarding amusement, or positive, happy laughter, the AfD was not the leading party. They had an average of 1.36 amusement moments per member. The Greens and the FDP were in the lead with 2.60 amusement moments per member, followed by the SPD with 1.53, the Union with 1.37, the Left with 0.71 and the BSW with 0.40.
AfD members explained the humor strategy behind their laughter. The parliamentary spokesperson of the AfD, Götz Frömming, said, “It’s true that laughter within the community strengthens it and laughter at others can be accompanied by a certain level of aggression.” The deputy fraction leader, Stefan Keuter, added, “We use this as a style tool. We laugh much more often than other parties.”
Outside the parliament, the AfD also employs a specific humor style to bypass moral concerns from citizens, such as laughing at allegedly criminal asylum seekers as “gold pieces.” Keuter explained, “This is a typical AfD humor. It serves as an opening to find an audience for something that is otherwise unsayable and falls under the censorship of the ‘speech police.'”
Another example was AfD members from Saxony who posted an SS cap in a chat and wrote, “Dear refugees, recognize your handler by these caps.” Literary scholar Uwe Wirth, who has extensively researched comedy, warned against laughing at immoral jokes. “The joy of a joke is that it allows one to bypass the inhibition and find accomplices who reward you with laughter” said Wirth. Those who laugh, he said, are lured into forming a “values and humor community.