Overview
- The exchange unfolded on Sunday in an ARD election-night roundtable when Linke leader Luigi Pantisano called AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla “the biggest Flachzange walking around Berlin,” prompting an immediate on-air rebuttal.
- Chrupalla replied that he has worked for 25 years and paid taxes, saying “in contrast to you I know what a Flachzange is,” and he used the moment to claim “the firewall has been voted out” and offer to reach out to other parties if the AfD lacks an absolute majority.
- Other panelists and moderator Markus Preiß intervened to restore order, with SPD secretary-general Tim Klüssendorf saying he found the insults unbearable and asking the moderator to take back control of the debate.
- The incident sharpens immediate political questions about cooperation after the AfD’s reported strong result in Saxony-Anhalt and underscores that mainstream parties, including the Linke and CDU, publicly reject working with the AfD.
- The phrase “Flachzange” had been used earlier by AfD co-leader Alice Weidel against federal officials and by regional politicians, showing how provocative language has circulated across camps and how live broadcasts can escalate political conflict.