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Hamburg makes the fight against anti-Semitism a national goal

On Wednesday, the Hamburg Parliament approved the inclusion of children's rights and the fight against racism and anti-Semitism as state goals in the state constitution in the first reading.

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Hamburg makes the fight against anti-Semitism a national goal

On Wednesday, the Hamburg Parliament approved the inclusion of children's rights and the fight against racism and anti-Semitism as state goals in the state constitution in the first reading. In future, diversity and cosmopolitanism are also to be stipulated in the preamble as “creating identity for the Hanseatic city society” and the promotion of a united Europe. In addition, voluntary commitment and honorary work should be placed under special protection. The final decision to amend the constitution is due to take place on March 1st in the second reading.

According to the joint application of the government factions of the SPD and Greens as well as the CDU, the city's future goal should be formulated as follows: "It is committed against racism and anti-Semitism and any other form of group-related enmity. It opposes the renewal and spread of totalitarian ideologies and the glorification and glorification of National Socialism.”

Criticism came on Wednesday from the AfD and the left. While the left criticized the term totalitarian ideologies as too vague, the AfD rejected the term racism for the same reason. "Because there is no agreement on exactly what racism is," said AfD MP Krzysztof Walczak. The formulation of group-related enmity is also semi-scientific and left-wing ideological.

In the vote, the AfD voted unanimously against the relevant passage, and there was also a dissenting vote from the left-wing faction. In the separate vote on the promotion of volunteer work, however, there was unanimous approval from all parliamentary groups. The SPD and the Greens do not need votes from the opposition for the two-thirds majority needed to change the constitution.

In addition, the citizenry dealt with the situation of the media in the Hanseatic city. A large majority in Hamburg's parliament has criticized RTL Germany's plans to shut down numerous magazines from the Hamburg publishing house Gruner Jahr. On Wednesday, MPs from the SPD, Greens, CDU, Left and FDP spoke of a severe blow to Hamburg as a media location and warned against putting profits above quality journalism. Only in the case of the AfD was there talk of an economically understandable reaction by the media group to a change in media consumption.

RTL Germany announced last week that around 700 of the 1,900 jobs in the magazine segment are to be cut. For this purpose, magazine titles are posted and sales are checked. Big brands like “Stern”, “Geo”, “Capital”, “Brigitte”, “Gala” and “Schöner Wohnen” are to be retained. More than 20 titles are to be set. The background to this is the imminent slippage of the declining publishing business into the red.

RTL Deutschland integrated the German magazine division of the Hamburg publishing house Gruner Jahr into its portfolio in 2022. RTL wants to create more synergies. Both houses belong to the Bertelsmann Group in Gütersloh.

Media Senator Carsten Brosda (SPD) pointed out that Gruner Jahr reported an annual profit in its last independent annual report. “What happened after that is a reduction of journalism to an independent cost center. You only look at what journalism costs me.” If this view prevails, there will soon be only a few major titles. "And then we do indeed have a problem with democracy."

The media policy spokesman Hansjörg Schmidt from the SPD parliamentary group, which had announced the debate under the title "Bitter sell-out of Gruner Jahr: RTL and Bertelsmann lack social responsibility and respect for their employees", demanded "more decency" from the corporate management the employees affected by the job loss.

"In addition, we expect the media groups to be conscientious about the magazine titles remaining in the company." from which management or employees buy media, said Schmidt.

The CDU economics expert Götz Wiese also sees the development as the result of entrepreneurial failure. "It's a warning sign for the media location, and a disaster for those affected," he said. Good journalism is a basic social function. "It is only the functioning of the press that creates trust in democracy." What is needed are "responsible publishers who understand today's market".

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