Julia Klöckner, the President of the German Bundestag, warned that, in light of recent accusations against the AfD, Members of Parliament must handle taxpayer funds responsibly. She explained that MPs might provide staff to ensure the parliament can function, noting that the sovereign and taxpayers ultimately enable such employment, and that political decency requires proper administration. In that sense, nepotism, self‑service and shady hiring practices must be excluded.
Klöckner also argued that employees should not continue to receive salaries if their access to the parliament’s premises is revoked. She has already made this point in a written appeal to the parliament’s chief administrators before the Christmas holidays. She welcomed the political parties’ efforts to review potential amendments to the Members’ Act.
Both the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party are calling for stricter regulations in the Members’ Act, which lays out the criteria for publicly funded staff. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has likewise supported the introduction of tighter legal rules.
