The Republicans of Baden-Württemberg

The Republicans of Baden-Württemberg
Chairman	Ulrich Deuschle
Deputy	Wolfgang Meier Thomas Melber Lothar Seidemann
Treasurer	Dieter Ebert
Website	www.rep-bw.de

REP Baden-Württemberg is the state association of the party The Republicans in Baden-Württemberg . It is the most important regional association of the party with the largest number of members. From 1992 to 2001 the REPs were represented in the state parliament and achieved election results of around ten percent. The current state chairman is Ulrich Deuschle .

Member of the state parliament of Baden-Württemberg

In the election to the state parliament of Baden-Württemberg on April 5, 1992 , the REP received 10.9% of the vote and, with 15 members, entered parliament as the third largest group. In 1996 (election on March 24th) they succeeded here for the first and so far last time to re-enter a state parliament with 9.1% of the votes (14 members). In the 2001 state election, the Republicans failed with 4.4% of the 5% hurdle. MPs were:

• Bernhard Amann (moved up for Auer in 1993, resigned from parliamentary group and party in 1994)
• Willi Auer (1992–1993)
• Rudolf Bühler (1992–1996)
• Alfred Dagenbach (1996-2001)
• Ulrich Deuschle (1992–2001, deputy group chairman)
• Richard Eckert (1992–1996)
• Egon Eigenhaler (1996-2001)
• Eduard Hauser (1996-2001, Age President of the State Parliament)
• Michael Herbricht (1992-2001)
• Josef Huchler (1996-2001)
• Christian Käs (1996–2001, Deputy Group Chairman)
• Lothar König (1992-2001, parliamentary manager)
• Wolf Krisch (1992-2001)
• Liane Offermanns (1992–1996)
• Klaus Rapp (1992–2001, from 1996 deputy group chairman)
• Max Reimann (1992–1996)
• Karl-August Schaal (1992–1996)
• Rolf Schlierer (1992–2001, parliamentary group chairman)
• Alexander Schonath (1996-2001)
• Horst Trageiser (1992–1996, deputy parliamentary group chairman)
• Heinz Troll (1992-2001)
• Rolf Wilhelm (1992-2001)

Parliamentary work

In contrast to many other REP groups, at least the greater part of the MEPs had already gained experience in parliaments. Some had already sat on municipal bodies for the Republicans, others also for free voter groups, the SPD or the FDP . With the exception of Schlierers, no one had been a member of a right-wing extremist organization, which the Republicans often emphasized.

At this point in time, a preliminary investigation into theft was in progress against Willi Auer, who is officially resigning his mandate for health reasons . His successor, Amann, resigned as federal chairman in 1994 in protest against the removal of Franz Schönhuber , but retained his mandate as a non-attached MP.

Internally, there were repeated rivalries between the parliamentary group chairman Schlierer, who tried to look serious, and his deputies Horst Trageiser (1992–1996) and Christian Käs (1996–2001), who advocated a more radical line.

The main focus of parliamentary work was on foreigners / asylum policy as well as domestic policy and crime, with the former tending to decrease after 1993 and the latter to increase. Social policy was added as a third field . The parliamentary group showed comparatively little interest in labor market, education, health and cultural policy; even in the few initiatives on this, the group often drew connections to the foreigner or crime issue.

In the area of ​​foreigners and asylum policy, the group introduced a large number of motions and inquiries on the subject of immigrants and asylum seekers, especially in connection with crime , health risks, housing shortages and similar problems. Initiatives aimed to severely limit the number of immigrants and to abolish the fundamental right to asylum . They also increasingly turned to the subject of “ Islam ”, criticizing the construction of mosques and an alleged threat to “Western culture”.
In domestic politics, the REP wanted to expand the police's capabilities and improve working conditions for police officers. In addition, they attacked the Interior Minister and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution , wanted to lift the observation of their party, but intensify the observation of left-wing extremists.

Other initiatives by the Republicans were aimed at promoting direct democracy and greater participation by small parties, conservative family policy, environmental and “homeland security” and the cancellation of funds for contemporary culture.

In its motions, the parliamentary group often polemically criticized the other parties and the state government , especially for alleged wasting money and self-service. They also saw themselves as victims of a “power cartel” run by other parties and the media. The REP dealt with this topic more intensively in their press releases than in the concrete parliamentary work. In doing so, they accused politicians of other parties of “hating Germany” and compared them with both socialists and national socialists . In 1992, the faction caused a scandal when it claimed in a publication that acts of violence against foreigners were deliberately committed in order to blame the Republicans.

The work of the group was particularly uncoordinated at the beginning of the first legislative period, so questions were asked several times. The parliamentary group also made applications that had previously been made by the CDU. At the same time, the number of parliamentary initiatives was generally lower than that of other, even smaller, parties. If the Republicans not only made inquiries but also made legislative initiatives - for example in 1994 to include environmental protection and a “right to a home” in the state constitution - these were always rejected by the other parties. However, the Republicans obtained majorities for both the SPD and the CDU on individual issues in which the then grand coalition was divided, which in each case led to criticism from the other side.

The relationship with the other groups was changeable. The REP offered the CDU a coalition several times, but this was excluded from it. In parliamentary contributions, the Republicans were often exposed to heckling from other political groups. Partly insulting heckling came mainly from the SPD. The Republicans themselves took care to provoke, but not to fall back on open abuse from their colleagues. Nevertheless, there were repeated embarrassing contributions, especially from inexperienced MPs, which revealed either ignorance or highly questionable views. With increasing experience, however, the deputies became more secure; there was also a more collegial tone on all sides, especially in the committees.

The REP parliamentary group in the Baden-Württemberg state parliament was initially effective insofar as it required the formation of a grand coalition in 1992. After the state elections, there was no majority for either the CDU alone or for a black-yellow coalition . Prime Minister Erwin Teufel (CDU) then had exploratory talks with the SPD and the Greens, but not with the Republicans, although mathematically a majority would have been possible with all three. This behavior met with criticism in parts of the CDU base.

In the following years all the other parties in the state parliament were concerned with excluding the REP. However, this attitude seemed implausible because both the CDU and the SPD accepted the REP as a majority procurer and the REP was used as leverage in both the grand coalition and the black-yellow coalition from 1996 to discipline the coalition partner. In addition, the CDU in particular took over issues and initiatives of the REP, sometimes in a slightly softened form. She herself saw this as a means of combating the REP by removing the reasons for choosing it; the Republicans, on the other hand, saw this as a success of their work.

An incident during an exhibition on the subject of right-wing extremism that took place in the state parliament building in October 1999 caused a stir. At the urging of Republicans, who had previously announced protests against the exhibition, an allegedly unintended exhibit, Republican material, was removed for inspection. When it was about to be added back to the exhibition, it was obstructing the Republicans present. There was a dispute about the course of which there was agreement that MP Schonath stole and tore up the REP party newspaper, which was intended as an exhibit, from an employee of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. During a debate in the state parliament on the incident, the behavior of the Republicans was sharply criticized by all other groups.

The MPs Dagenbach, Deuschle, König, Rapp, Schlierer and Wilhelm claimed in November 2000 that they voted for Erwin Teufel in the second ballot for the office of Prime Minister in the Landtag in 1996 . Teufel had 81 votes here (necessary: ​​78), so it would only have been elected thanks to the MPs mentioned.

State election results

State election results

in percent

15%

10%

5%

0%

'88

'92

'96

'01

'06

'11

'16

Results of the state elections
year	be right	Seats
1988	1.0%	0
1992	10.9%	15th
1996	9.1%	14th
2001	4.4%	0
2006	2.5%	0
2011	1.1%	0
2016	0.3%	0

literature

• Ulrich Eith: The Republicans in Baden-Württemberg. More than just populist protest . In: Nikolaus Werz (Ed.): Populism: Populists in Übersee und Europa (= Analyzes. Vol. 79). Leske and Budrich, Opladen 2003, ISBN 3-8100-3727-3 , pp. 243-261.

Web links

• elib.uni-stuttgart.de/ Dissertation by Bernd Neubacher: The republicans in the Baden-Württemberg state parliament - from a right-wing extremist to a right-wing radical, established party? (pdf; 1.5 MB)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Die Republikaner Baden Württemberg - The state executive introduces itself ( Memento of the original from March 17th, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
2. ↑ Results of the state elections in Baden-Württemberg from 1984 to 1996 ( Memento of the original from March 26, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
3. ↑ Results of the state elections in Baden-Württemberg from 1996 to 2011 ( Memento of the original from May 21, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
4. ↑ Final result of the state elections on March 27, 2011 with comparative information from 2006: State of Baden-Württemberg ( Memento of the original from July 19, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.