The AfD members in North Rhine‑Westphalia appear to employ far more staff than the members of any other parties combined.
According to T‑Online, citing the state‑parliament administration in Düsseldorf, an average AfD lawmaker has 8.5 staff members, whereas lawmakers from other parties average fewer than five. The twelve AfD representatives in the NRW parliament employ 102 staff in total-almost twice the 56 staff used by the twelve FDP members. One individual AfD parliamentarian in NRW reportedly has 15 staff.
Members of the Düsseldorf state parliament can draw an allowance of up to €10,208 to pay for personal staff. AfD representatives use this allowance on average to employ a number of staff comparable to that of their colleagues in the federal Bundestag (8.9 staff per member), while Bundestag MPs have an allowance of €26,650-more than twice the amount available to state lawmakers.
The AfD NRW caucus has defended the high staff numbers. A spokesperson told T‑Online that the staff structure is organised around tasks rather than personalities, and that responsibilities are spread across part‑time and temporary contracts. Staff members work part‑time alongside their main jobs, and the party argues that the work cannot be handled by a few individuals but requires several people who focus intensively on specific subject areas.
The party is currently at the centre of a nationwide scandal of alleged crony employment that began in Saxony‑Anhalt. Accusations claim that members of the Bundestag and various state parliaments frequently hire partners and close relatives of other lawmakers.
Similar patterns are seen in the Saxony‑Anhalt state legislature. According to a list from the state‑parliament administration cited by taz, 23 AfD members employ 162 staff in that parliament. The CDU, with 40 members, employs 125 staff; the SPD 28; Die Linke 21; the FDP 20; and the Greens nine.