Taxpayers' Association - Commissioner for climate protection foundation unnecessary
The Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Taxpayers' Association has reacted with clear criticism to the appointment of a representative of the state parliament for the MV Climate and Environmental Protection Foundation. "The drama surrounding the cheating foundation is now entering the next round after the Russia connection and burnt tax files," criticized Managing Director Sascha Mummenhoff on Thursday. "The parliamentary resolution to dissolve the foundation is a year and a half old and must be implemented - without external commissioners and further taxpayers' money."
On Wednesday, State Parliament President Birgit Hesse appointed lawyer Andreas Urban from the Hamburg law firm Heuking, Kühn, Lüer und Wojtek as the state parliament's representative for the MV Climate and Environmental Protection Foundation. He is to examine whether there are possibilities for implementing the state parliament's resolution to dissolve the foundation.
The AfD spoke of a pure waste of taxes. "Both the state government and the foundation's board have already obtained expert opinions. The state parliament has dealt with the issue several times. This has shown beyond doubt that it is not possible to dissolve the foundation in accordance with the law," said Horst Förster, legal policy spokesman for the AfD parliamentary group. The dissolution is not negotiable. It was time to recognize this and end the debate about dissolution.
The Greens also described the appointment of a new commissioner as a waste of taxpayers' money. "Birgit Hesse is not responsible; the state government is responsible. The prime minister's attempt to shift responsibility to the president of the state parliament is damaging the reputation of our constitutional state. Birgit Hesse must not continue to play this game," warned Constanze Oehlrich, legal policy spokesperson for the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen parliamentary group.
The foundation is highly controversial because it was financed with Russian money and helped to complete the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline shortly before the Russian attack on Ukraine began. The dissolution of the foundation, which was decided by the state parliament on March 1, 2022, has so far failed due to legal hurdles and the refusal of the board of directors to resign.
State parliament resolution
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- The Greens' legal policy spokesperson, Constanze Oehlrich, criticized State Parliament President Birgit Hesse for appointing a commissioner for the MV Climate and Environmental Protection Foundation, stating that it's a waste of taxpayers' money and damaging to the reputation of the constitutional state.
- The AfD parliamentary group, however, supported the appointment, with legal policy spokesman Horst Förster arguing that both the state government and the foundation's board have already obtained expert opinions, and the dissolution is not negotiable.
- The controversy surrounding the foundation stems from its financing with Russian money and its role in completing the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline before the Russian attack on Ukraine.
- Birgit Hesse, the State Parliament President, appointed lawyer Andreas Urban from the Hamburg law firm Heuking, Kühn, Lüer und Wojtek as the state parliament's representative to examine potential ways to implement the state parliament's resolution to dissolve the foundation.
- The Taxpayers' Association, led by Managing Director Sascha Mummenhoff, criticized this move, arguing that the parliamentary resolution to dissolve the foundation is a year and a half old and should be implemented without external commissioners and further taxpayers' money.
- The appointment of a commissioner also drew criticism from Alliance 90/The Greens, with Climate Protection Foundation spokesperson Birgit Hesse being singled out for responsibility and accused of shifting responsibility to the state parliament president.
- The situation has led to heated debates in Germany's State parliament, with some calling for the foundation's dissolution and others arguing against it, citing legal hurdles and the refusal of the board of directors to resign.
Source: www.stern.de
