As of: March 29, 2024, 11:03 a.m
By: Max Schäfer
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The SPD parliamentary group, now led by Rolf Mützenich, is said to have only published illegal posts on social media in the week before the 2021 federal election. (Archive photo) © Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa
Social media is becoming increasingly important for parties. However, the Court of Auditors accuses the political groups of misusing taxpayers' money. The traffic light reacts.
Berlin - The Federal Audit Office accuses the factions of all parties represented in the Bundestag of blatant misuse of taxpayers' money. Specifically, it’s about appearances on social media. The Court of Auditors examined the parliamentary groups' posts before the 2021 federal election. Conclusion: At least 70 percent were inadmissible.
“Audit results from the Federal Audit Office show that the parliamentary groups use funds when using social media predominantly for the intended purpose and therefore contrary to the rules - including for party tasks,” the auditors explain in a report. Some of the posts received direct party or election advertising. This is not permitted. Social media accounts of the parliamentary groups are only allowed to provide information about their activities.
Court of Auditors criticizes election campaign posts by parliamentary groups in the Bundestag as unlawful
The parliamentary groups in the Bundestag receive 140 million euros annually from the federal budget. This is used, among other things, to finance their public relations work. And the appearances on social media. As the Court of Auditors' investigation shows, all parties also use the funds for election campaigns. In the week before the election, 100 percent of the posts were illegal. According to
Handelsblatt,
it was all posts from the SPD.
The Court of Auditors cites the legal framework as a problem. This offers false incentives: “The factions have their own interest in ensuring that 'their' parties do well in the next election.” The politicians themselves decide how much money they receive. “There is therefore a risk that the parliamentary groups will end up granting themselves an excessive number of (group) resources with which they can also carry out party tasks in addition to their tasks,” says the report.
Violations by the parties of rules regarding social media posts by the parliamentary groups have no consequences
However, the violations remain without consequences. “Effective sanction mechanisms that counteract rule violations by political groups are missing,” explains the Court of Auditors. The parties would not have to pay back funds used unlawfully and could not be forced to delete the posts. “It is obvious that the political groups cannot control and sanction themselves,” said the head of the Court of Auditors, Kay Scheller, according to
Handelsblatt
. He should therefore take over the Bundestag administration.
The Court of Auditors is therefore calling for a new legal basis for the use of social media by the parliamentary groups. “If the legal situation remains inadequate, the parliamentary groups can continue to use their resources illegally for party tasks when using social media,” the report says. “In this way you can circumvent the ban on covert party financing.”
Traffic light coalition wants to set rules for the factions' appearances on social media
The traffic light coalition now wants to regulate the activity of the parliamentary groups on social media. The government factions told the
German Press Agency (DPA)
that good and constructive discussions were taking place between the responsible rapporteurs from the SPD, the Greens and the FDP . The Union was also included.
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According to the announcement, the SPD, Greens and FDP are planning to adapt the MPs Act. In the future, they want to make it clearer that the parliamentary groups can report comprehensively on their work in the Bundestag, convey their political positions and enter into dialogue with citizens about parliamentary-political issues. It is clear that “factions are not allowed to do party work”. A “clear demarcation from inadmissible party advertising” is particularly important near election campaigns.
The President of the Bundestag should be able to demand the return of illegally used tax money from the parties
The traffic light also wants to introduce sanctions against violations. “In the future, the President of the Bundestag should be able to fully reclaim funds used inappropriately,” said Green MP Irene Mihalic. “Violations of the rules no longer remain without consequences.”
“The traffic lights are late,” said Patrick Schnieder, parliamentary director of the Union faction. So far she has not responded to a proposal from the Union faction. “That’s why I welcome the fact that the traffic light now also sees the need for a change in the law,” said the CDU politician. In fact, the Court of Auditors had already called for rules for the use of parliamentary group funds at the end of 2020. Before the last federal election - and thus at a time when the CDU nominated Angela Merkel as Chancellor.
According to the Court of Auditors, political groups draw very wide limits on public relations work
However, another observation in the Court of Auditors' report raises doubts as to whether the new rules are actually effective. The political groups themselves considered the disputed posts to be permissible. They shared the premise that the MPs Act does not allow “limitless public relations work” by the parliamentary groups. “However, they draw the boundaries so far that they ultimately allow almost anything.” (ms/dpa)
The right-wing extremists are particularly strong on social media: the AfD is more successful on Tiktok than other parties.