In the wake of the Stefan Gelbhaar scandal, FDP politician Christoph Meyer, leader of the Liberal faction in Berlin and vice-chair of the Bundestag, has called for transparency from the Green party’s top candidate, Robert Habeck. “Habeck and the Green party leadership must ensure full transparency” Meyer told T-Online on Monday.
Meyer’s statement comes in the context of Andreas Audretsch, a Green party member who, like Gelbhaar, was a candidate for the second spot on the party’s list. Meyer said, “As long as the possible criminal offenses against Stefan Gelbhaar are not cleared up, Habeck must ensure that Andreas Audretsch immediately puts his duties as campaign manager on hold. Robert Habeck must break his silence – who was involved, who profited?”
Similarly, Sahra Wagenknecht, leader of the Left party, expressed her concerns. “Habeck must clarify the Green party’s ‘gate’. His announcements so far have been nothing but a diversion” Wagenknecht told the Welt newspaper. “I would have expected our Green moral champions to show solidarity with the victim of the intrigue, Mr. Gelbhaar. This affair also means a significant damage to women who are actually victims of harassment and assault.”
Wagenknecht also criticized the Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) for what she saw as its lack of rigor in reporting the story. “Highly questionable is also the role of the RBB, which apparently sat easily on a smear campaign. The media must not let the Greens dictate the questions. Any other party would have been publicly pilloried for a comparable incident. The Greens, however, seem to have some journalists wearing soft gloves.