Overview
- Julia Klöckner, who spoke to Welt am Sonntag on Saturday, July 11, 2026, said the plenary is being misused for TikTok reels and that MPs often greet followers instead of colleagues in the chamber.
- Klöckner said she and her presidium colleagues now intervene immediately when deputies stage in‑plenum moments for social platforms and that the presidium has the authority to enforce decorum.
- She warned that the constant pressure from online networks — which she called a 'Dauerfeuer' — is pushing some lawmakers to make decisions based on how content performs rather than on parliamentary argument.
- Klöckner framed democratic procedure as slower but protective, saying speed and amplification on platforms can distort debate and that lasting public trust comes from reliability and seriousness.
- The comments feed into a wider debate about how lawmakers should use short‑form networks to reach voters, and they follow past remarks by Klöckner that once saw such platforms as a way to show parliamentary work to new audiences.