Klöckner counters criticism from Habeck and Lang: “Bear the opposition with dignity”

Augsburg/Berlin. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner brushes off criticism from former Green Party leaders Robert Habeck and Ricarda Lang. "I know myself what it's like to no longer be in government, but in the opposition. I recommend enduring it with dignity and constructiveness," the CDU politician told the "Augsburger Allgemeine" newspaper. "Sometimes messages say more about the sender than about the person they're intended to target."

Habeck and Lang had criticized Klöckner, who has held the second-highest state office since March following the CDU/CSU's victory in the federal election, for her conduct in office. "For me, Julia Klöckner is a polarizing entrepreneur in that she doesn't care at all about the real problems of many people, but, quite the opposite, primarily juxtaposes outrage and symbolic debates," Lang said in a "Stern" podcast.

Upon his departure from the Bundestag, Habeck accused Klöckner of "always polarizing, polemicizing, and dividing." The woman under attack told the newspaper: "Everyone should be able to accept that there are people who don't share their own views one-to-one."

The RND newsletter from the government district. Every Thursday.

By subscribing to the newsletter, I agree to the advertising agreement .

Klöckner primarily blamed social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram for the changing climate in the Bundestag. "In my view, digital media is contributing to the greatest change. And there's hardly any difference between the far left and the far right," she said.

"Speeches in the plenary session are increasingly being delivered solely for social media use, for short video clips on Instagram and TikTok. This is certainly successful; it's often viewed and clicked on. But it ruins the exchange of arguments," Klöckner said. In closed committee meetings, on the other hand, things are more objective.

RND/dpa