AfD A German court bans national intelligence from spying on the far-right AfD party
Pandemic Germany prolongs restrictions, but with an exit strategy
Germany already has its mask scandal.
The protagonist is
Nikolas Löbel
, a federal deputy for the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who used his contacts to propose a company that supplied masks and later pocket a commission of up to
250,000 euros
.
"In order to avoid further damage to my party, I
resign my mandate
in the Bundestag (Lower House of the German Parliament) with immediate effect," declared the deputy, thus yielding to pressure from his own parliamentary group.
It was made clear by the head of the conservative caucus, Ralph Brinkhaus, for whom "the obtaining of economic benefits by deputies for the intermediation in the supply of medical protection equipment in the context of the response to the pandemic
collides with our total misunderstanding and we strongly condemn it
.
"
The question of dubious mask deals had put the Conservative party in southwestern Germany in a bind, a week before
regional elections
in the federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg.
Proof of the importance of these elections for the CDU, which will serve as a thermometer for the new federal president, Armin Lachet, is the early resignation of Löbel.
The 34-year-old MP had initially announced that he would resign his Bundestag seat at the end of August and that he would
not stand as a candidate
in the next elections, as planned.
The mask scandal involving Löbel jumped a few weeks ago, when the Prosecutor's Office asked the Bundestag to
lift the
politician's
immunity as
part of an investigation into the irregular sale of masks and medical supplies.
Löbel was called to testify by the parliamentary commission in charge of these matters and, in light of the material delivered by the Prosecutor's Office,
confirmed his involvement in those businesses.
According to the report, a company run by him had charged a commission of around 250,000 euros for brokering
contracts
between a supplier in Baden-Württemberg and two private companies in Heidelberg and Mannheim.
And everything indicates that it has not been the only case.
Another deputy from the government coalition made it known on Friday through his lawyer that he will not stand for re-election either, after investigations have been initiated against him for
alleged corruption
in another operation to sell masks.
The MP involved on this occasion is
Georg Nüsslein
, from the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) party.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
Know more
Germany
Angela Merkel
PandemicEurope lengthens the 'bolt' against the coronavirus
Diplomacy Morocco attacks Angela Merkel to send a signal to European governments on Western Sahara
Wide AngleGermany: the problem is not freedom of expression, but the culture of debate
See links of interest
Work calendar
Manchester City - Manchester United
DSC Arminia Bielefeld - 1. FC Union Berlin
Sampdoria - Cagliari
Mallorca - FC Cartagena
Real Sociedad - Raise