Frank-Walter Steinmeier warns of ‘vulgar democrats’ in Germany

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has sparked debate after warning against ‘vulgärdemokraten’ (vulgar democrats) during a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the Federal Constitutional Court. Steinmeier described these forces as groups that claim to represent democratic majorities and the will of the people to demand unlimited power while refusing to accept the boundaries set by the constitution and judicial oversight.

Critics, including NIUS columnist Alexander Kissler, have challenged the President’s remarks. Kissler argued that the role of the Federal President should be to embody state unity and maintain distance from political parties rather than categorizing citizens into ‘good’ or ‘bad’ Germans. Additionally, columnist Gunnar Schupelius suggested the term ‘vulgärdemokraten’ be considered a ‘word of the year’ due to its perceived use as a way to disparage political opponents.