Bernd Baumann, the parliamentary chief of the AfD’s Bundestag faction, has confirmed that a legal review is underway concerning a constitutional lawsuit that would challenge the alleged diversion of billions earmarked for infrastructure spending.
Speaking to the news channel Welt, Baumann said, “We are assessing what can be done from a legal standpoint”. He noted that the party has experience in similar matters and that its experts are already working on the case. Baumann added that the group will pursue every viable avenue to hold the current government accountable, but he emphasized that such efforts must also be taken on a political level.
He drew a stark comparison, likening the way millions of euros are allegedly redirected to fulfill campaign promises to the undemocratic conditions that one would normally associate only with countries such as Turkey or Russia. “If a government can make promises, then accumulate a half‑trillion in debt, and subsequently misuse the funds against its own pledges, democracy loses its worth” Baumann remarked. “The outcome is that anyone who checks the ballot, regardless of the mark, becomes meaningless”. By this logic, he stated that even the mere omission of fulfilling promises constitutes a betrayal of democratic principles, making the pursuit of every legal remedy essential to restore the government’s legitimacy.
Baumann also addressed the situation with Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil of the SPD. While he would welcome Klingbeil’s resignation, Baumann expressed doubt that it would actually occur and said he is not calling for it directly. “We could demand his stepping down every week, but they won’t act on it” he said. “Our priority is to confront the government politically, make it clear to the public, and we have state elections later this year”.