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Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD)
Photo: Stefan Boness / Ipon / imago images / IPON
The corruption scandal surrounding mask shops in the Union stunned many citizens.
It is about the mediation of millions of orders for the procurement of corona protective equipment, in which MPs were involved.
In view of this affair, Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has now demanded the full disclosure of the additional income of MPs.
»We finally need real transparency in parliaments: in future, MPs should have to declare their ancillary income from the first euro.
I expect the CDU and CSU to participate now, "said Scholz of the" Bild am Sonntag ".
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"Citizens need to know who they are voting - and where they get money from," added Scholz.
Additional income in the millions is difficult to reconcile with the office of a full-time MP.
Scholz criticized the behavior of the Union MPs involved in the mask affair as "immoral, illegal and irresponsible."
"These MPs are damaging democracy with their behavior," he said.
So far, MPs do not have to state their ancillary income precisely to euros and cents, but only in ten levels: the first level comprises income from 1,000 euros to 3,500 euros, the last level income from more than 250,000 euros per month.
The scandal surrounding mask business, from which Union MPs are said to have benefited with lavish commission payments, is currently shaking the CDU and CSU.
After allegations were raised against the CSU member of the Bundestag Georg Nüßlein, who had since resigned from their mandate, and the CDU member Nikolas Löbel, allegations against the CSU member of the state parliament and former Bavarian Justice Minister Alfred Sauter were also made known on Wednesday.
Dobrindt
warns the SPD and opposition against excessive criticism
CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt, meanwhile, warns the SPD and opposition parties against exaggerating their criticism of the mask affair.
"If one tries now to give the impression that the massive misconduct of individuals is systemic, then politics as a whole will be discredited," said Dobrindt to the Berlin newspaper Tagesspiegel am Sonntag.
This is corrosive for democracy.
Everyone should "consider carefully whether they are not encouraging the opponents of democracy from the far right."
Dobrindt promised consistent action against the suspects.
The allegations against the former Bavarian Justice Minister Alfred Sauter (CSU) are "serious".
There should be strict transparency rules in the future.
Anyone who wants to take on leadership roles in the CDU / CSU parliamentary group will have to forego any additional income in the future, Dobrindt told the newspaper.
Meanwhile, the CSU chairman Markus Söder and his general secretary Markus Blume invited to a press conference in connection with the mask affair at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
The CSU state management in Munich announced that the topic would be the fundamental consequences of the misconduct of individual elected officials.
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