AfD Deputy Stephan Bothe Rejects Nepotism Scandals as Necessary Personnel Practice

Stephan Bothe, deputy chairman of the AfD in Lower Saxony and a member of the state parliament, rejected accusations of nepotism against his party on Sunday, saying he sees no wrongdoing in the employment practices under scrutiny. „We have no problem with nepotism, and I really don't see any scandal in it.” — Stephan Bothe via German Press Agency The controversy centers on a practice in which AfD members of the Bundestag and state parliaments employ family members of party colleagues rather than their own relatives. While employing one's own close relatives is prohibited under Bundestag rules, employing relatives of fellow party members is generally permitted. Bothe argued the debate is difficult to understand because the arrangements involve something "that is permitted" with no legal prohibitions in place.

Two Lower Saxony cases drew particular attention The controversy has been sharpest in Lower Saxony, where two specific cases attracted media scrutiny. Bundestag member Martina Uhr faced accusations of employing her partner and his daughter in her parliamentary office. Uhr denied in the newspaper "Bild" that the man in question was her life partner, and when approached by the German Press Agency she initially declined to comment. Separately, it emerged that the wife of Lower Saxony AfD state chairman Ansgar Schledde is employed in the office of an AfD Bundestag member. According to media reports, Schledde's former wife is also said to work in the Lower Saxony state parliament. The AfD parliamentary group stated that all employment contracts involved were unobjectionable. Similar arrangements have reportedly come to light in other regional AfD associations across Germany.

Party chairman admits a "whiff" — Bothe flatly disagrees AfD federal co-chairman Tino Chrupalla acknowledged the optics of the situation, conceding that although the contracts were lawful, there was still cause for discomfort. „There's still a whiff of something.” — Tino Chrupalla via ZEIT ONLINE Bothe directly contradicted his party chairman, drawing a clear line between his own assessment and Chrupalla's cautious criticism. „I see it differently from Mr. Chrupalla, I see no whiff of something here.” — Stephan Bothe via ZEIT ONLINE Bothe offered a practical justification for why AfD members turn to their personal circles when hiring staff, pointing to difficulties the party faces in the broader job market. He noted that numerous positions in the Bundestag parliamentary group had remained unfilled for extended periods. „Anyone who has AfD on their résumé has to expect rejection in their further working life.” — Stephan Bothe via ZEIT ONLINE

Bothe sees no need for new rules, cites existing legal framework Bothe argued that the existing legal framework is sufficient and that no reform of the rules is necessary. He acknowledged that the prohibition on employing one's own relatives exists for good reason, stating he would personally find that problematic as well. However, he drew a firm distinction between that scenario and the current cases, which involve employing relatives of colleagues rather than one's own family members. „If they are qualified and do good work, I see no problem in that.” — Stephan Bothe via ZEIT ONLINE He added that the legislator had "for good reason not put a stop to" the broader practice, and that if new regulations were introduced, the party would adapt accordingly. His position amounted to a full defense of the status quo: „Everything is running according to law and order.” — Stephan Bothe via ZEIT ONLINE Nepotism rules in the German Bundestag have historically focused on preventing members of parliament from directly employing their own close relatives on parliamentary staff budgets. The current rules prohibit such direct family employment but do not extend the ban to relatives of colleagues, a gap that critics argue creates opportunities for informal patronage networks within party structures.