Raid in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt: political allowances under suspicion!

Raid in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt: political allowances under suspicion!

Things are simmering in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt: the police have searched the parliamentary groups of the CDU, SPD and AfD in order to investigate an explosive matter. There is a suspicion that illegal payments were made to members of parliament with special functions. These investigations are based on a criminal complaint from the Taxpayers' Association, which took action in 2023 and confronted the public prosecutor's office with the borderline practices. After an initial rejection by the Magdeburg public prosecutor's office, investigative steps such as this were initiated following a complaint taz reported.

The reason for the searches is the suspicion of unauthorized payment of functional allowances within the factions. While the investigators are collecting evidence of these payments, the CDU parliamentary group's preliminary balance sheet for 2021 and 2022 shows that considerable sums are involved. According to a compilation, the figures for the CDU go from 66,000 euros in 2021 to 47,250 euros in 2022, while the AfD cannot completely stay out of the firing line with 25,600 euros and the SPD with 7,500 euros. ZDF also included information of this kind in a recent report, which points out that the deployment of officials in this context also resulted in inquiries from the CDU and AfD.

Allegations and legal framework

However, according to the figures from the State Audit Office of Saxony-Anhalt, these payments are not compatible with the MPs Act. There is a clear signal from the Greens and the Left that they will no longer pay the corresponding surcharges. While the SPD has stopped payments after 7,500 euros in the past, the CDU vehemently defends its practices and cites a report from the Legislative and Advisory Service (GBD) that is intended to confirm the admissibility of the payments.
But a look at the report reveals a dilemma: It makes it clear that additional compensation for special parliamentary functions is prohibited. Ironically, this report was only requested and approved by State Parliament President Gunnar Schellenberger (CDU) in November 2023, which appears to give the CDU parliamentary group a legal basis, but is highly controversial.

In the midst of this stressful situation, the Ministry of Justice of Saxony-Anhalt is headed by Justice Minister Franziska Weidinger (CDU), who only found out about the developments during the searches. Additional explosiveness comes into play because State Secretary Steffen Eckold, who was managing director of the CDU parliamentary group until 2022, has declared himself biased and will therefore be excluded from the investigation.

Political reactions and outlook

The affected groups have not yet commented on the allegations. This leaves room for speculation and questions. What does this mean for the political culture in Saxony-Anhalt? Is this a breakout from a larger system of wrongdoing in politics? Observers and critics of the situation warn of the serious consequences of such practices. A look at federal politics makes you sit up and take notice, as other members of parliament are also under pressure in the corruption case - investigations are pending against several members of the Bundestag.

In this tense situation, it remains to be seen how the investigation will progress and what consequences can be expected for the factions and their members. There is a lot at stake for the MPs affected and the political integrity of Saxony-Anhalt.