The German Chancellor has been widely criticized for refusing to raise the rainbow flag over the Bundestag
A wide-ranging political controversy erupted in Germany after Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) made a controversial statement refusing to raise the rainbow flag over the Bundestag building on the occasion of Pride Day (CSD), considering that “parliament isn’t a circus tent”.
Merz, in an interview on the ARD program “Maischberger,” supported Bundestag Speaker Julia Klöckner’s (CDU) decision not to raise the flag this year, saying, “The Bundestag isn’t a circus tent over which we can raise flags as we please”.
Merz added that there is only one day designated for raising this flag: May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, citing what he called the “flag decree” approved by Parliament.
Bundestag Speaker Klöckner had decided not to raise the flag this year on the occasion of the CSD on July 26, contrary to previous years, stressing that the flags raised above the Bundestag should be limited to the German and European Union flags.
Merz commented on the decision, saying, “This decision is correct, and no other flags should be raised on the building outside the specified times”,
The “circus tent” statement sparked a wave of anger within political circles, even within the coalition government: Armand Zorn, deputy chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) parliamentary group, said, “This is a very unfortunate statement, and the chancellor should reconsider it… At a time when LGBTQ+ people are increasingly being attacked; this is absolutely not the right statement”.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) wrote on X, “The rainbow flag isn’t a circus symbol, but rather expresses the rights of people whose lives have become more difficult than ever before… Such a gesture would have demonstrated Parliament’s commitment to democratic values in the face of their enemies”.
Sophie Koch, the government commissioner for LGBTI+ affairs, asked ZDF, “If the rainbow flag is a circus tent flag, what about queer people? Are they clowns?”
For its part, the Green Party posted a video showing a rainbow flag waving over the Bundestag building, with the caption, “Showing a stand for human rights isn’t a circus, Friedrich Merz”.
The party’s parliamentary group chairwoman, Katharina Droghe, added, “Merz’s statement is completely disrespectful… The flag symbolizes queer rights and solidarity, and it’s more important than ever in light of the rise in hate speech”.
The leader of the Left Party bloc, Heidi Reichnick, described Merz’s remarks as “completely inappropriate”.
In an attempt to contain the anger, government spokesman Sebastian Helle said that Merz also emphasized the “importance of Pride Day,” describing it as “an important event for diversity and the rights of gays, lesbians, and the queer community,” and affirming that “the government fully supports these goals”.
