The Greens want to combat rampant racism with a virtual police week, a change to the Basic Law and more rights for migrants. “We will not move to the agenda now, but will work to ensure that the consequences follow,” says a draft for a plan with 23 points, which should be adopted by the Party Council on Sunday afternoon.
The virtual police station should help to detect and punish violence and hate online. The Greens are calling for her to be able to file criminal charges across the board. A “Right-wing Extremism Task Force” with a central hotline is intended to serve as a point of contact for people who are threatened by right-wing violence.
The Greens also want to provide structures with more money that strengthen democracy. A federal democracy promotion law should help to better promote political education, anti-racist initiatives, and victim support. The draft states: “The federal funding of established civil society organizations, projects, and networks has to be financially expanded and steady.”
France is leading the way
The Greens also want to appoint a federal government commissioner against racism. “In order to fight racism decisively, clear responsibilities at the federal level are required,” Greens Group leader Katrin Goring-Eckardt told the newspapers of the Funke media group.
The Greens also want to delete the term “race” from the Basic Law. Article 3 states that no one should be disadvantaged or favored because of their race – a reaction by the authors to the racial madness of the Nazis. The division of people into races has long been considered unsustainable in science. In France, the term was therefore deleted from the constitution in 2018.
The Greens also want to increase the proportion of people with a migration background in administrations and authorities – especially among the police. However, they do not explain how this should happen in their plan. There is no question of a quota system.
It also calls for anti-discrimination to be included in curricula and for birthright to be expanded. According to the wishes of the Greens, children who are born in Germany should be given German citizenship if at least one parent has a legal residence permit.
NSU files under lock and key
After the right-wing extremist terrorist attack in Hanau, the Greens try to substantiate the general dismay with ideas. The parliamentary group recently also presented an action plan against the right. Where they rule, the Greens do not always keep their lofty demands. One example is the black-green coalition in Hesse.
When the SPD and the Left Party voted for a committee of inquiry into the NSU murders in the Hessian state parliament in 2014, the Greens abstained together with the CDU. The black-green coalition has also ensured that important files of the State Protection of the Constitution on the NSU remain under lock and key for 30 years. The Left Party demands publication.
“The Greens in Hesse ensured that democracy programs get more money,” says Hermann Schaus, spokesman for the left faction in the Hessian state parliament. “But they don’t do as much as necessary.”
