A majority of German citizens want a new ban that would prevent parliament members from employing relatives of close party allies as staff. The measure comes from a Forsa poll commissioned for “Stern” magazine and the RTL channel, which found that 55 % support the ban, 39 % wish to keep the current practice, and 6 % said they did not know.
The debate was triggered by high‑profile cases, notably within the AfD state‑parliament group in Saxony‑Anhalt, where such employment relationships were set up. Although these arrangements are legally permissible at present, they increasingly attract criticism as a form of indirect nepotism.
Against this background, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) is weighing tighter transparency rules and possibly even statutory limits. The discussion fits into a wider conversation about integrity and public trust in political institutions.
