Overview

• Marcel Bauer, a Left Party MP, was excluded from the Bundestag plenary after refusing to remove his Baskenmütze, citing no legal basis for the decision.
• The Bundestag rejected Bauer's appeal, with SPD, Greens, and Union voting against him, while Left and AfD supported his challenge.
• The Bundestag’s house rules mandate that attire respects the 'dignity of the house,' but lack explicit guidelines, leaving enforcement open to interpretation.
• Legal scholar Sophie Schönberger criticized the exclusion as unconstitutional, arguing it infringes on MPs' rights to freely exercise their mandate.
• AfD and other voices have called for a formal dress code to eliminate ambiguity, while critics warn against overreach and the erosion of parliamentary freedoms.