AfD lawmaker Tommy Thormann flashes white-power salute in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern parliament
AfD deputy Tommy Thormann showed a Nazi-linked white-power gesture during his inaugural session in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Landtag, sparking condemnation from other parties.
During his debut in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Landtag, AfD representative Tommy Thormann posted an Instagram video that included a white-power salute, a symbol used by neo-Nazis to claim white supremacy. Thormann, a former soldier with a record of right-wing provocations, had previously threatened that the AfD would mobilise police against political opponents if it gained power. After the September election, he was appointed the AfD’s spokesperson on left-wing extremism.
The gesture provoked sharp criticism from SPD faction chief Julian Barlen, Greens leader Claudia Müller, and Left leader Hennis Herbst, who demanded his expulsion from the party group and a formal parliamentary reprimand. AfD faction head Enrico Schult faced pressure to act, while the parliamentary president was asked to examine the incident and consider sanctions.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the presence of extremist symbols in a state legislature, raising concerns about democratic standards and party discipline.
How the sides frame it
MODERATE AGREEMENTBoth camps report the same incident and the calls for expulsion, but left-leaning coverage emphasizes the gesture as a neo-Nazi white-power salute and condemns it, while right-leaning coverage highlights the controversy and includes the AfD’s defence that the sign simply means “okay”.
LEFT
Frames the hand sign as a neo-Nazi white-power salute and stresses the demand for expulsion and reprimand.
RIGHT
Frames the story as a partisan dispute, noting the red-green parties’ expulsion demand and the AfD’s claim the gesture is harmless.
The left emphasises
- gesture described as “a symbol used by neo-Nazis to claim white supremacy”
- sharp criticism from SPD, Greens and Left leaders
- calls for his expulsion from the party group and a formal parliamentary reprimand
The right emphasises
- red-green parties demand Thormann’s expulsion
- AfD faction rejects accusations, saying the gesture simply means “okay”
- reference to the gesture’s use in far-right circles
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