No rainbow flag at the Reichstag: Klöckner defends her decision

No rainbow flag at the Reichstag: Klöckner defends her decision

The decision by Bundestag President Julia Klöckner is causing a stir in Berlin. Today, June 29, 2025, the rainbow flag will not be hoisted at the Reichstag for Christopher Street Day (CSD). Klöckner, who has been in office for three months, emphasizes that her decision is based on the necessary neutrality of the Bundestag administration, which should not take a political position. “The CSD is a political demonstration with concrete demands,” she explains, “so the administration must not adopt the concerns.”

In a letter, six members of the SPD parliamentary group reacted to this decision and called for the queer group from the Bundestag administration to take part in the CSD. However, this was forbidden by the house management. Klöckner assures, however, that private participation is possible for employees at any time, but not during working hours or as part of special leave. In her opinion, the German flag is a sufficient symbol of tolerance and diversity.

The neutrality of the administration in focus

The President of the Bundestag makes it clear that her house has a role as a support body for parliamentary work and should not itself appear in political discourse. Your spokesman emphasizes that raising the rainbow flag is a decision that requires parliamentary references. Similar to other demonstrations – such as Fridays for Future or the March for Life – care must be taken here to ensure that the administration remains neutral.

In a clear step into the past, the visibility of the Bundestag administration at the CSD, which had been used to recruit personnel in recent years, was no longer considered sufficient. Critics, such as Christian Görke from the Left, see Klöckner's decision as a return to the fundamental values ​​of the Basic Law and are calling for a correction.

Previous signs of support