Overview

• During a budget debate in the Erlangen City Council, AfD councilor Siegfried Ermer cited Joseph Goebbels and described the Nazi Party as socialist and left-wing.
• In response, all other council factions and groups exited the chamber in protest, returning only after Ermer's speech ended.
• Erlangen Mayor Florian Janik (SPD) criticized the incident, calling it a familiar tactic of the far-right to provoke and portray themselves as victims.
• The city has stated that it is unclear whether the incident will lead to legal action, as no complaints or investigations have been initiated so far.
• The unified response by the council was praised by Janik as a necessary stance by democratic forces against extremist provocations.