Profiteering Scandal Erupts in the German Bundestag
Angela Merkel, German chancellor and longtime leader of the CDU, will step down after the September 26th elections. (Wikimedia)
Scandal has gripped the German government after two MPs revealed that they had profited as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nikolas Löbel of the Christlich Demokratische Union (CDU) announced on March 8 that he would immediately resign from the German Bundestag. Georg Nüßlein of the Christlich-Soziale Union (CSU), the Bavarian branch of the CDU, stated that he would not seek re-election in September.
Dubbed the Maskenaffäre, the two admitted to having inappropriate business deals with mask manufacturers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Löbel, who represents the state of Baden-Württemberg, revealed that his business earned 250,000 euros by securing contracts between local mask providers and distributors. Nüßlein, who represents Bavaria, earned more than 600,000 euros brokering similar contracts. Although police investigations have not yet found evidence of illegal activity, the two faced immense criticism from the CDU. Manuel Hagel, the CDU Secretary-General of Baden-Württemberg, tweeted, “The misconduct of individuals is a slap in the face of all sincere MPs.”
Recent COVID-19 surges have resulted in crushing lockdowns that have crippled the German economy. The revelations that Löbel and Nüßlein profited amidst this suffering could prove politically poisonous for the CDU. The scandal comes as the CDU faces upcoming elections in the western states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg on March 14. Current opinion polls indicate that only 33 percent of Germans plan to support the CDU, down from a high of 39 percent in June 2020.
A crippled CDU could see an increase of support for the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). The AfD is a novel political force in German politics, becoming the third-largest party in the Bundestag in 2017. The AfD originally formed as an opposition party to the CDU running on a platform of Islamophobic and xenophobic sentiments. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the AfD has attempted to capitalize on anti-lockdown conspiracy fervor.
The outcome of these regional elections could foreshadow the high-stakes Bundestag elections set for September 26. German Chancellor and longtime CDU leader Angela Merkel, who has served as chancellor since 2005, will retire in 2021. Her impending departure has made the CDU’s future unclear. In January, the CDU selected Armin Laschet to lead the party, who succeeded in fending off the candidacy of Friedrich Merz. Merz favored a more right-wing direction for the CDU, while Laschet represents a moderate conservative wing styled after that of Merkel.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, ascendent left and right-wing parties, and the departure of Merkel, the September election will be a pivotal moment in German politics. The Maskenaffäre only adds more uncertainty to the turbulent times.