Debate about ministerial pensions: State Chancellor Gruhner accuses the AfD of double standards

Head of the State Chancellery Stefan Gruhner has accused the Thuringian AfD parliamentary group of double standards in a debate about ministers' pension entitlements. The two chairmen of the AfD parliamentary group, Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, treated themselves to a 100 percent increase in their salary at a group meeting last year, said the CDU politician in the direction of the Thuringian AfD parliamentary group with its chairman Björn Höcke.

The reason for the debate was a draft by the AfD parliamentary group to change the ministerial law. According to the current rules, ministers are entitled to a pension of around 3,500 euros from the age of 67 after just two years in office. “This is an indecent flash pension, practically an immediate ministerial pension, a golden hammock after two years in the government chair, after you have barely moved the furniture into the state chancellery,” said AfD MP Sascha Schlösser. He argued that other states made longer terms of office a requirement.

Gruhner: Weidel and Chrupalla doubled their salaries

Strong headwind came from Gruhner: Nobody in the Thuringian state parliament had the “impudence” to double their salary. “Mrs Weidel and Mr Chrupalla earn 24,000 euros,” said Gruhner. He shouted in the direction of Höcke: “If it suits them, then what the old parties are doing is right. If you don't like it, castigate yourself. Do you know what that is? That's called double standards."

At the end of June 2024 it became known that the AfD parliamentary group in the Bundestag had doubled the allowances of its bosses Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla as well as those of the other members of the parliamentary group's executive board. In addition to the normal Bundestag diet of around 12,000 euros, Weidel and Chrupalla have since received 12,000 euros for their leadership positions.

The non-attached Thuringian MP Anke Wirsing (BSW) announced in the state parliament that she would vote for the AfD's draft law. “We will agree to this application and I encourage others to do the same,” she said. Wirsing and her party colleague Sven Küntzel are independent after the Thuringian BSW faction broke up a few days ago.