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Stuttgart (dpa) - The CDU social wing has called on its own party to follow the example of the CSU and tighten the transparency rules for all elected officials.
"The CDU needs a code of conduct in order to prevent conflicts of interest such as the mask affair and the Azerbaijan connection in the future," said Christian Bäumler, Vice-Chairman of the Christian Democratic Workforce, the German Press Agency.
He warned that the CDU could otherwise fare just like its Italian sister party: "The CDU must be careful that it does not suffer the fate of the Democrazia Cristiana, which perished from corruption."
CSU boss Markus Söder announced at the weekend that as a consequence of the mask affair and the corruption investigations against MPs, their rules would be tightened.
Among other things, there should now be “full transparency” of ancillary income and participation of members of parliament.
Everything should have to be disclosed to the party and parliaments.
In the case of management tasks for the CSU in parliaments, commercial sideline activities are to be prohibited in the future, as well as paid interest representation.
Bäumler, who is also the state head of the social wing in Baden-Württemberg, called on his own state party to put pressure on within the federal CDU.
"Since the CDU Baden-Württemberg is affected by allegations of corruption, the state association should, in my opinion, take on a pioneering role."
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The mask affair is about Union members of the Bundestag who were involved in business with corona protective equipment.
The Mannheim Bundestag member Nikolas Löbel is said to have received a six-figure commission from a mask shop.
Löbel resigned from the CDU and gave back his mandate in the Bundestag.
By the term “Azerbaijan Connection”, Bäumler means a number of MPs who are said to have stood up for the authoritarian-ruled state.
The Karlsruhe CDU member of the Bundestag, Axel Fischer, is being investigated because of the initial suspicion of corruption.
The Bundestag had lifted its immunity as a member of the parliament.
He is said to have accepted money from Azerbaijan.
Fischer has rejected the allegations as unfounded.
The Thuringian CDU MP Mark Hauptmann resigned his mandate after allegations that he had been a lobbyist for Azerbaijan.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210322-99-916993 / 2