Overpriced 90 million deal at Nuremberg University: Did Söder knowingly violate the Bavarian constitution?

Why did the Free State of Bavaria pay 90 instead of 45 million euros for a university property in Nuremberg?

A question that Markus Söder was asked back in 2019 could now become very topical again.

• Wasn't the purchase of the university property in Nuremberg completely clean?

• The Bavarian Supreme Court of Auditors has now completed the audit of the purchase.

• A few years ago there was criticism of the current Prime Minister's 90 million euro deal.

• With our brand new politics newsletter you will always be kept informed about national and international political events.

Munich - Is Markus Söder catching up with his own past as Bavarian finance minister?

If the Supreme Bavarian Audit Office (ORH) has its way, the answer can only be “Yes”.

Actually, the incumbent Prime Minister of Bavaria is quietly preparing for a CDU / CSU candidate for chancellor.

Accordingly, the current research by the

rbb

is likely to taste less.

In 2018, Söder - at that time still as Bavarian finance minister - and the state government are said to have bought the property for the new Technical University (TU) in Nuremberg overpriced.

This is the result of a more than two-year audit by the Bavarian Supreme Audit Office.

Instead of 45 million euros, the Free State is said to have knowingly paid 90 million euros for the prestige property.

While the finance and construction ministry rejects the allegations, the audit office recommends a new audit.

Land deal with a bland aftertaste - Has Söder violated the Bavarian constitution?

There has recently been criticism at a branch of the Deutsches Museum in Nuremberg.

At that time, a much too expensive lease was said to have been concluded.

The financing commitment for the museum was signed in 2017 by the then Finance Minister of Bavaria.

And his name was Markus Söder like in 2018.

The Deutsches Museum

told

Bild-Zeitung

: "We had the rent checked externally - the check showed that it was quite reasonable and that significantly higher prices were being charged for retail space in prime locations in Nuremberg."

+

Does Markus Söder face trouble?

A real estate deal from 2019 raises questions (again)

© Peter Kneffel / dpa / picture alliance

Soon, Söder will not have to deal with this in the state parliament, but rather with the university property.

The ORH will then present its findings.

The

ARD-Mittagsmagazin had

already reported on the questionable deal in

2019

based on the

rbb

research.

At that time, constitutional lawyer Ulrich Battis even saw the overpriced purchase as a violation of the Bavarian constitution: “If more tax money is spent than the property is worth, the state parliament should have been heard and a law should have been passed.

Only then may the state's basic assets be reduced. "

Land for TU Nuremberg - why did the Free State pay 90 instead of 45 million?

The current Bavarian Prime Minister denied all allegations back then.

Söder justified the 90 million deal with the fundamental political decision for the Nuremberg location.

A spokesman for the building ministry announced that it is exceptionally permissible if the price is above the market value determined by the expert.

The state parliament was also involved in the entire process.

The budget committee unanimously approved the property deal.

Claudia Köhler from the Greens, Deputy Chairwoman of the Committee on State Budget and Financial Matters, has

already taken a position

with the

rbb

.

The examination of the ORG clearly shows “how poorly crafted this property purchase was carried out and important budgetary regulations bypassed.” For two years now, she has been asking the state government and demanding answers that she can now get: “Now you have to talk. "

List of rubric lists: © Peter Kneffel / dpa / picture alliance