Welfare bonus cessation demanded by CDU state parliament faction, urged by opposition members - Coalition Partners Demand CDU Faction in State Parliament to Halt Subsidies
In the state of Saxony-Anhalt, an investigation is ongoing concerning allegations that members of the CDU, SPD, and AfD parliamentary groups improperly claimed parliamentary allowances. The inquiry is scrutinising whether these groups fraudulently received or misused funds intended for their parliamentary activities.
The opposition parties, the Left and Greens, have publicly criticised the alleged abuses and called for transparency and strict accountability concerning the use of public funds by parliamentary groups. The Public Prosecutor's Office is actively investigating the claims, examining documents and financial transactions linked to the disputed allowances to establish any criminal liability.
According to the Greens' parliamentary business manager, Olaf Meister, trust in political institutions is only created through lawful and transparent action. The CDU, on the other hand, justifies additional payments to its members by their assumption of leadership tasks and the need to compensate for an additional workload.
Following a parliamentary reform in 2020, only certain functionaries such as the president, deputies, group leaders, and business managers are eligible for additional allowances. However, any additional allowances from parliamentary group funds are now considered invalid.
State Parliament President Gunnar Schellenberger (CDU) stated that, according to the current legal situation, parliamentary groups may continue to reimburse their members for expenses incurred in connection with the exercise of special tasks within the parliamentary group. The total amount of disputed allowances paid to state parliamentarians in Saxony-Anhalt could be higher than previously known.
Investigators searched the business and parliamentary group offices of the CDU, SPD, and AfD in the state parliament in Magdeburg due to suspected fraud. The evaluation of the seized documents by the Public Prosecutor's Office will take some time, as stated by a spokesperson for the Public Prosecutor's Office.
The opposition parties are demanding that the CDU immediately stop these payments, while the State Audit Office of Saxony-Anhalt considers the payment of additional compensation to working group chairpersons and deputy parliamentary group leaders in 2023 to be "constitutionally very questionable." Such payments are "not compatible" with the Saxony-Anhalt Parliamentary Act, according to the State Audit Office.
As the investigation continues, it is crucial to monitor official Saxony-Anhalt government press releases or reputable news sources for the latest developments on this case. Further details or current information would provide clarity on the investigation's progress and involved parties' positions.
The Greens and Left parties have voiced concerns over the alleged misuse of funds in EC countries' parliamentary groups, calling for stronger policy-and-legislation and transparency, particularly in the case of Saxony-Anhalt's parliamentary allowances. In light of this, politics surrounding vocational training grants and their usage within parliamentary groups has become a subject of general-news discussion. The continued investigation into the CDU, SPD, and AfD parliamentary groups in Saxony-Anhalt serves to highlight the importance of upholding accountability and adhering to established vocational training policies within the realm of legislative affairs.
