The remaining 243 Union MPs assure that they have not enriched themselves from the pandemic. In addition, the CDU and CSU want to respond a little to the SPD’s demands for more transparency. This half-hearted reaction to the severe loss of confidence is likely to do more harm than good to the Union
The day after the submission of the so-called declaration of honor by the Union MPs begins like the day before: The Competition etches with snappy comments in the social networks against the CDU and CSU. Political reporters oracles about the consequences of a foreseeable painful break-in by the CDU in the state elections in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. The many sincere Union politicians are still worried about their own reputation. It is your own fault: the alleged transparency offensive of the CDU / CSU parliamentary group fizzles out due to a lack of substance.
It starts with the name of the MP’s assurance, raised in the best PR speech from the written declaration to a “declaration of honor”, that they have not personally enriched themselves from the pandemic. Apart from the fact that the terminology is reminiscent of the famous “word of honor” from Federal Chancellor a. D. Helmut Kohl remembers in the donation affair: First, the choice of words insinuates that the honor of all Union members must be restored – although no one doubts that the overwhelming majority of the parliamentary group behaved with integrity in view of the pandemic situation.
“Declaration of honor” or not
Second, and this is particularly important, an explanation is something other than enlightenment. Anyone who had something to hide before Friday hardly had any reason to uncover it of their own accord. The concealment of additional income, so valiantly defended by the Union so far, makes the exposure of such legal but morally questionable pandemic profits unlikely. Anyone who is caught anyway – regardless of the “declaration of honor” or not – has no political future anyway. Thirdly: MPs who have otherwise received dubious income as MPs, whether as a lobbyist for Azerbaijan such as Mark Hauptmann, Karin Strenz and Axel Fischer or as company representatives such as Philipp Amthor, were nevertheless able to sign the declaration with a clear conscience: It only referred to the pandemic.
The announcement by the Union parliamentary group to clear the way for more transparency in the Bundestag is half-hearted. It is long overdue that MPs should explicitly forbid paid lobbying activities. The obligation to notify investments in companies, as envisaged by the Union, should only continue to apply from a share of 25 percent. Why does a party that prides itself on its economic competence and considers the pursuit of profit to be a productive force of social development continue to hide the financial success of its MPs?
The same applies to the amount of additional income from which income must be transparently broken down according to the Union plan: 100,000 euros. As if people – regardless of party affiliation – could not be corrupted for less money. The one that has been in election campaign mode for some time SPD, on the other hand, urges full transparency and should feel public tailwind for their demand that every cent of additional income must be disclosed.
Trust can cost money
The Union plan also falls short of the ideas of the SPD and the opposition in other points: The CDU and CSU are ready to ban direct donations to members of parliament. However, party donations should still not be limited and only be made public from 10,000 euros. Why the Union is so concerned about it cannot be explained any more than its defensive stance against a legislative footprint in connection with the approved lobby register, which reveals all those involved in a legislative process. The Union cultivates its relationships with companies and associations out of conviction that they are necessary and not because of the resulting benefits, right?
In any case, additional costs due to possible bureaucratic effort are not a convincing argument: public trust in the independence and integrity of all members of parliament must also be worth money for the voters. This is particularly true of the group from whose ranks this trust has been seriously damaged. If the CDU and CSU do not show any more understanding soon, the competition will gratefully accept the proposal and continue to drive the wavering ruling party ahead of them. Neither parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus nor the party chairman Armin Laschet, who is reaching for the chancellery, can be interested in this.
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