Bodo Ramelow, the Deputy President of the Bundestag and a member of the Left Party, has strongly criticized his own party leadership regarding its handling of a proposal to cap parliamentary allowances. In a letter addressed to the party’s leadership-Jan van Aken and Ines Schwerdtner-Ramelow accused them of “political deception” and a “complete disregard” for a resolution passed at a previous party conference.
The controversy stems from a recent motion proposed by the Left Party executive board for the upcoming plenary session in June. This proposal suggests that Left Party deputies in both the Bundestag and the European Parliament should have their allowances limited to the current average salary rate in Germany, with an additional provision of €350 per child or dependent. According to the figures provided by the party chairpersons, Schwerdtner and van Aken already limit their own salaries to €2,850 net.
Ramelow contends that the motion submitted the previous Saturday represents a significant disregard for the party’s earlier decisions. He objected to the executive board’s action on two grounds: firstly, he saw a risk of a constitutionally problematic regulation, and secondly, he argued that the measure fundamentally contradicted the resolution made at the 2025 plenary session.
The problem lies in the procedural breach. Over a year ago, the Left Party had agreed at a party conference to develop concepts for limiting the pay of deputies-for federal, state, and European levels-and developing mechanisms for limiting terms of office. Furthermore, the resolution stated that the executive board would propose constitutional amendments, requiring a two-thirds majority vote at a plenary session, no later than 2027. However, the current proposal from the party leadership no longer involves the necessity of amending the party’s statutes.
Ramelow pointed out this discrepancy, stating to the press that he saw the executive board’s actions as “a significant breach of trust” given that the issue of amending the statutes was closely linked to the text that had been approved in Chemnitz. He reiterated this argument in his letter, referring to the overall process as a “political deception”.
To address this, Ramelow demanded that the motion be immediately suspended and placed before an arbitration commission for review. He further requested that the motion not be submitted to the full party conference until the commission has delivered its decision.
At the same time, Ramelow affirmed his public support for the party’s move to reject “excessive allowances and automatic increases” and for dedicating relevant portions of these allowances to social, cultural, and societal purposes. He also emphasized his belief that all deputies must adhere to the decisions made by the party and the respective factions, including supporting the contributions made through these funds.
