Overview
- Lawmakers convene a special Interior Committee session on Wednesday at the CDU’s request less than two weeks before the 22 March election.
- The case centers on an Interior Ministry employee placed on extended special leave since 2024 to manage the SPD’s state campaign.
- Minister-President Alexander Schweitzer and the ministry argue the leave is lawful and compatible with a strict separation between state and party.
- Legal scholars split, with Joachim Wieland deeming the practice permissible while Christian Koch and Christoph Gröpl warn of neutrality and legal violations.
- Scrutiny widened after an inquiry counted 167 comparable leaves and a 2021 audit criticized the practice, as Greens and FDP signal distance and pension entitlements continue despite party reimbursements.