"This was a serious error of judgment," he said. "I deeply regret this and accept the consequences."

"I made a serious mistake and in a moment of rash emotion drew a swastika behind the name of an AfD candidate," Born wrote in an email to other parliamentary leaders, quoted by public broadcaster SWR. "I will never forgive myself for this failure."

He didn't make a factual mistake, whether or not he made a strategic one. Nazis need to be at the very least called out for what they are.

It seems like a case of the law working against its original purpose. Germany had good reason to outlaw swastikas after the defeat of the Nazis, so Nazis couldn't keep promoting themselves. But here this man used a swastika to tell the truth about a Nazi who is hiding behind a veneer of electoral respectability.

[–] DivineDev@piefed.social 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Swastikas aren't outlawed outright, they're fine when displayed in a disapproving way, such as a crossed out swastika or a swastika being thrown in a bin.

This is a different case though, I'm not sure if he could have argued he used it to disapprove of the AfDs fascist policies and get away with it.

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 days ago

He's an SPD politician though. It's far more plausible that he did it to express disapproval than approval, even before talking to him.