Berlin Parliament President warns of rising antisemitism

Kurt Wansner, the oldest member and President of the Berlin House of Representatives, intends to warn against the dangers of increasing antisemitism during his opening speech for the first parliamentary session following the recent election.

Wansner, a CDU politician who has served in the state parliament since 1995, stated that it is unacceptable for Jewish people to feel unsafe in Berlin. He emphasized that Berlin holds a special responsibility toward the Jewish community due to its historical role as the capital of Germany between 1933 and 1945.

In addition to addressing antisemitism, Wansner expressed concern regarding voter turnout. While the turnout for the September 20 election was over 74 percent, he questioned why more than a quarter of eligible voters chose not to participate.