In the Schwerin state parliament, opposition members have raised accusations of nepotism, citing the hiring of relatives of SPD deputies by party friends. CDU state chairman Daniel Peters told the “FAZ” that “the allegations of cronyism involving the AfD in Saxony‑Anhalt are serious, but they are not unfamiliar to us; we see similar patterns with the SPD in Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern”.
FDP parliamentarian David Wulff questioned how many familial and political overlaps must occur before the system itself is deemed self‑serving, arguing that many constituents already perceive the SPD as a “film” where accountability and critical distance have vanished.
In Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern, several specific cases have surfaced:
” One SPD Bundestag member allegedly employed the wife of a state deputy in his electoral‑district office, the same building that houses the deputy’s own office.
” Another state deputy’s wife is said to serve as office manager for an SPD state council.
” The mother of yet another state deputy reportedly works for a caucus colleague.
” Separate criticism has long focused on the SPD’s organization of large events on a manor that belongs to the husband of a prominent state deputy.
The state government’s spokeswoman has told the “FAZ” that public‑service employment rules do not prohibit hiring relatives of politicians. She maintained that none of the cited cases present conflicts of interest and that no individual was hired because of a familial relationship.
