Sunday, March 7th, 2021
In the Bundestag despite the mask affair
Nüßlein does not want to resign prematurely
The CSU member of the Bundestag Georg Nüßlein wants to fulfill his Bundestag mandate by the end of the legislative period despite mask affairs. In doing so, he ignores calls for resignation from CSU boss Söder and CDU boss Laschet. He still denies the allegations.
The CSU member of the Bundestag Georg Nüßlein, who is suspected of corruption due to a mask scandal, is leaving the CDU / CSU parliamentary group with immediate effect. In a statement distributed by his lawyer on Sunday, Nüßlein justified this by saying that he wanted to avert "any political disadvantage" from his party. However, Nüßlein wants to keep his Bundestag mandate until the end of the legislative period.
In doing so, he ignores calls for resignation from CSU boss Markus Söder and CDU chairman Armin Laschet. "All those affected should immediately clean the table and draw fundamental conclusions. Everything else damages confidence in politics," Söder had previously tweeted with a view to the masked monkeys. "It cannot be tolerated when representatives of the people turn the crisis into business. That is incompatible with the fundamental values of the Union."
Laschet had also suggested that those involved in the mask scandal resign immediately. "Anyone who, as a representative of the people, tries to earn money for themselves personally in this crisis has to leave parliament immediately," he told the "Südkurier". "Every MP who enriches himself in and during the crisis damages the greatest good in democracy: trust."
The Munich Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating Nüßlein because of the initial suspicion of bribery, he is said to have collected six-figure commissions in connection with the procurement of corona protective masks. 660,000 euros are said to have flowed to a company in which he is said to be involved. The CSU politician denies the allegations against himself.
"Public prejudice is unbearable"
Through his lawyer, he stated that "the public prejudice against me has reached a level that is unbearable for me, but above all for my party". That is why he is withdrawing from the group, he has informed the group leadership about this. He had already given up his post as deputy parliamentary group leader on Friday and declared that he would no longer run for the Bundestag in September.
In addition to Nüßlein, the CDU member of the Bundestag, Nikolas Löbel, is also involved in the controversial business of masks procurement. Löbel had granted commission of around 250,000 euros to his company. As a consequence, he announced that he would withdraw from all political offices. On Sunday he announced his resignation from the CDU / CSU parliamentary group. He plans to resign from his parliamentary mandate at the end of August and no longer run for election in the federal elections. He takes responsibility for his actions and draws the necessary political consequences, wrote Löbel in a statement from which the "Mannheimer Morgen" quotes. He apologized for the mistakes he made in arranging makeup shops.
Critics, however, come across the fact that Löbel and Nüßlein want to keep their mandates for months despite the admitted misconduct. During this time they would be entitled to parliamentary allowance and transition allowance. The development policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, Christoph Hoffmann, told ntv.de that Nüßlein would receive "about another 60,000 euros in diets until the end of the legislative period".
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