A Left Party politician in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is under public pressure after reportedly tearing down German flags from empty houses on the island of Rügen.
Wenke Brüdgam—the state’s equal opportunities officer and former state chairwoman of the Left Party—posted a now-deleted video on Instagram in which she admitted removing the flags, claiming they symbolized “nationalism” and “fascism.”
In the video, filmed during a members’ meeting in Bergen on Rügen, Brüdgam stated:
Because anyone who hangs German flags on empty houses in these times doesn’t want to show that they like their country, but ultimately wants to propagate nationalism and thus clearly call for fascism.
She later apologized, emphasizing that the statements were made in a private capacity, and reaffirmed her commitment to what she calls “liberal democratic values.”
Despite her apology, several politicians are demanding her resignation. CDU parliamentary leader Daniel Peters argued that Brüdgam is no longer fit to hold a high office, while Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) parliamentary group leader Nikolaus Kramer criticized her apology as “absurd” and said she had forfeited the right to a state office with a €110,000 annual salary. FDP leader René Domke called for a swift investigation by the public prosecutor, highlighting the severity of defaming a state symbol.
Complaints have been filed with the police and forwarded to the Stralsund public prosecutor’s office, which will assess whether there is sufficient cause for a criminal investigation.
The incident comes amid the rising popularity of the anti-immigration AfD across the whole country, including Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. A new Insa poll places AfD at 27%, up one point, while the Union drops to 24.5%—the largest gap between the two parties since the polling series began.
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