The Berlin SPD has shown solidarity with its top candidate, Steffen Krach, despite allegations against him, according to economics senator Franziska Giffey. On Thursday, Giffey told the RBB-Inforadio that Krach has been transparent internally about the accusations. She stated that there is no reason to doubt his words, reiterating, “The presumption of innocence applies. Steffen Krach explained everything yesterday. He made it clear how the situation is and also said that he has nothing to hide. And that is what we base ourselves on. And therefore: full solidarity. We continue to fight for a strong SPD and for our issues.”
However, Giffey acknowledged the difficulty for her party stemming from the Hanover prosecutor’s office investigating Krach so close to the Berlin House of Representatives election. She noted, “Of course, all of this won’t be completely cleared up officially in ten days. The investigations will certainly take longer.”
The public prosecutor’s office has not yet commented on the subject of the investigation. Krach suspects the charges relate to alleged bribery connected to his former position as region president in Hanover, though he denies having accepted any bribes.
