Scandal surrounding Green Party politicians: False allegations destroy careers!

Scandal surrounding Green Party politicians: False allegations destroy careers!

Stefan Gelbhaar, a 48-year-old member of the Bundestag from Prenzlauer Berg in Berlin, has lost his mandate due to allegations of sexual harassment. However, these allegations were found to be largely fabricated, making the situation all the more scandalous. As a direct result of the events, Andreas Audretsch, Robert Habeck's campaign manager, was elected to Gelbhaar's mandate.

A district politician from the Green Party, Shirin Kreße, is at the center of the controversy because she falsely posed as the woman concerned and submitted a false affidavit accusing Gelbhaar of sexual harassment. Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) had reported on the allegations, but had to withdraw them and admitted that they had disregarded journalistic standards.

Shocking events in the Berlin regional association

Chancellor candidate Robert Habeck described the events in the Berlin regional association of the Greens as serious and shocking. In response to the incidents, he called for a comprehensive investigation. The Federal Association of the Greens has set high priorities in clearing up the incidents. Felix Banaszak, the federal leader of the Green Party, expressed regret at the damage caused to Yellow Hair.

The party has already initiated expulsion proceedings against Kreße, who announced her resignation on the same day. Banaszak spoke of evidence of suspected false statements and pointed to “criminal energy”. There were also reports that seven people were sticking to their reports against yellow hair, even though twelve people suspected of being affected had originally reported.

Internal processing and criticism

An internal commission of the Greens, headed by Anne Lütkes and Jerzy Montag, was commissioned to deal with the incidents. This commission is intended to clarify how the party dealt with the allegations. The federal executive board stated that it was structurally overwhelmed, especially in view of the upcoming federal election. Gelbhaar himself described the situation as a “nightmare” and criticized the lack of clear statutes and structures in the ombudsman procedure.

The Berlin Green Party leadership welcomed the federal party's announcement of clarification. Paula Piechotta, chairwoman of the East regional group, advocated for Gelbhaar's rehabilitation as soon as the allegations have been clarified. Meanwhile, the CSU is sticking with it and demanding a personal explanation from Habeck about the allegations, which further increases the pressure on the party.

All of these developments show that the Gelbhaar case not only has individual consequences, but also the potential to influence the Greens as a whole. The outcome of the federal election could have been affected by the rapidly escalating events, which only increases expectations of the processing processes.