Representatives of the conservative Christian Democratic Union of Germany, currently in opposition, are preparing to push for a parliamentary inquiry into Chancellor Olaf Scholz, amid accusations that he favored Warburg Bank to dodge taxes. The news was reported by Associated Press.
Matthias Middelberg, the vice-president of the CDU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, stated that the probe seeks to resolve a number of lingering questions in the Scholz-Warburg affair.
Speaking about the forthcoming inquiry, CDU member Matthias Hauer, who sits on the Bundestag Finance Committee, noted that many issues remain unsettled and that there are apparent inconsistencies and contradictions in the case.
The CDU indicated plans to establish a dedicated financial commission to oversee the inquiry once lawmakers return from recess. A vote is required to form the committee, and the CDU achieved 197 votes out of 736 in support.
The discussion centers on Scholz’s tenure as mayor of Hamburg from 2011 to 2018, during which he reportedly held meetings with a representative from Warburg Bank. He faces allegations of aiding the bank in avoiding approximately 50 million euros in taxes.
An inquiry is already active in the Hamburg state parliament, with Scholz maintaining his stance of innocence.
Earlier, a security incident occurred when a previously unknown masked individual entered an apartment associated with Chancellor Scholz in Potsdam on a Sunday evening. The intruder targeted a building in the city center, while Scholz was attending a meeting at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin. The episode has prompted questions about security and oversight, though authorities have not linked it to the campaign or the ongoing investigations. [AP]