Employees of Members of the Bundestag have no right to a personalized parliamentary badge. The Administrative Court of Berlin’s ruling on this matter was upheld by the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg on Friday.
According to the Bundestag’s bylaws and its access and conduct rules, parliamentary staff must pass a reliability assessment before badges are issued. The Parliament’s administration denied the plaintiff’s request because of doubts about the employee’s trustworthiness, which in turn prevented the employee from accessing the non‑public buildings of the Bundestag.
In the appeal, the Higher Administrative Court found that the employee failed to convincingly demonstrate the required level of reliability. The court therefore allowed the Parliament’s administration to conclude that the employee posed a risk to the functioning and operational integrity of the Bundestag, given his contacts with Russian state agencies and individuals who cooperate with such agencies.
The court’s third chamber also rejected the employee’s claim that the administration’s decision lacked sufficient legal basis. The judges stated that the Bundestag’s bylaws provide ample authorization for the action taken. As a result, the decision is irrevocable.
