The CDU member of the German Bundestag Karin Strenz has to expect in January with the consequences of the Azerbaijan affair, in the Council of Europe. The Presidium of the Bundestag is to say, according to daily mirror information in its next session, officially, that the deputies from the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has violated the rules of conduct of the Parliament. About President of the Bundestag Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU), informed last Thursday the Council of Elders. Strenz reported income from secondary activities of late, was, however, especially in the criticism, because the money came from the authoritarian Azerbaijan. With the decision of the Bundestag has, however, left an unusual amount of time. Schäuble must notify the Council of Europe actually already until the end of the year, what are the consequences of the Bundestag from the report on the corruption scandal draws.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe had been shaken in the past year by a corruption scandal in the centre of Azerbaijan. A Commission of inquiry, appointed to investigate these allegations, came out in April to the conclusion that a group of parliamentarians from several countries, worked in the Assembly for the interests of Azerbaijan. The Assembly in Strasbourg, called on all national governments and parliaments, to consider the report of the Commission and “to take the necessary measures as regards the (in the report) referred to cases that require your full attention, and to report to the Assembly by the end of 2018 about it”. The reminder to the member States and their parliaments was also so insistent, because the Commission had only limited powers and “not in the legal sense, evidence of any corrupt misconduct” was able to provide. That was the task of the competent national authorities, stressed by the Council of Europe.

in the report, criticised individuals, the CDU member of Parliament Strenz, of the Commission to certify a “persistent conflict of interest in their various activities in the parliamentary Assembly with respect to Azerbaijan”. Thus, it violated several rules of conduct of the Council of Europe. In their building in Strasbourg Strenz has prohibition, therefore, is a life-long home, as well as the former members of the CSU, Eduard Lintner.

Strenz had received in 2014 and 2015, money for alleged consultancy services from the company Line M-Trade, which belonged to the Ex-parliamentarians and later lobbyists Lintner, and which in turn was financed by Azerbaijan. For the Council of Europe, the deputies of 2015, traveled as an election observer in Baku, without the prior payments specified. Strenz said later, you didn’t know that the money of the company from Azerbaijan came. The Bundestag she reported the extra income only with great delay.

Strenz has not reported to the Bundestag payments

Several employees of the Council of Europe said before the Commission, Strenz have made in the election monitoring in Baku alone on the road, and a car with a driver and Translator had not been by the Council of Europe organized. A Deputy reported that he had seen Strenz on election day in a Bar in Baku, drinking champagne. Strenz said, however, that you have paid from your own money for a Taxi and a twelve-vote local visited.

Already in 2010 Strenz as an election observer, had travelled to Azerbaijan, but not in an official Mission, but on the invitation of the lobby organisation “society for the promotion of German-Azerbaijani relations,” which was also one of Lintner. You didn’t know who had paid for the trip and the Hotel, she said later, according to the Commission of inquiry. The payments you gave to the Bundestag. The report of this “election observers” was, at the time, is surprisingly positive.

In the parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the CDU had voted Deputy in the rule so that it ran counter to the interests of the regime in Baku. For example, you voted as the only Germans on the other hand, to demand of the Republic of Azerbaijan explicitly for the release of political prisoners. In may 2015, she led a delegation visit of German member of Parliament to Baku, praised the Meeting with the ruling authoritarian head of state Ilham Aliyev as an “extraordinary opportunity” and not a critical word lost about the human rights situation in the country.

if a member is against the rules of conduct of the Bundestag, there are three possible Sanctions. It is a less serious case, it may exhort the President of the Parliament the deputies oral. Otherwise, the Bureau must decide whether a violation of the behavior rules, and, where appropriate, make them public. In addition, the President of the Bundestag, the procedure may impose money.

In summer, the test was completed – now a notification

was after Tagesspiegel information, at the latest, in the summer to complete. However, a decision about the consequences for. The head of the German Delegation to the Council of Europe, Andreas, Nick (CDU), and his Deputy, Frank Schwabe (SPD) reminded Schäuble in November by letter of the impending expiry of the deadline. But it was only in the last session of this year, last Wednesday, the Bureau should consider in the Bundestag with the case. It was not, however. Therefore, the Bundestag can not communicate to the Assembly in Strasbourg until the end of the year of the decision. With a view to the German opinion had been missed “until now, no deadline,” said the Federal administration on request succinctly. Schäuble, obviously wants to send in a letter to Strasbourg.

The months-long delay pushes the members to critique. “The Bundestag is in a bad light and must finally respond comprehensively,” said the SPD-deputies Schwabe and the daily mirror. “The President of the Bundestag is the Central responsibility.” The Parliament needs to clarify the specific cases Strenz and Lintner, but also sanction mechanisms, a total rethink. At the same time, Schwabe called for a legal clarification of the allegations against Strenz. The German head of delegation Nick called a rapid response of the Bundestag. “Given the German role model in the Council of Europe of the Bundestag would be called for, in dealing with the allegations with the same care and promptness to act, as the Parliamentary Assembly has already done in the spring.” The parliamentary Manager of the Greens, Britta Haßelmann, criticized the actions of the President of the Bundestag, in the case of Strenz: “It is at all understandable, why Schäuble so long for the examination and decision-making.”

Strenz, who was elected in her constituency in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, directly, for the Union group in the defence as well as in the sports Committee. After learning of the allegations, she held in the Parliament, first of all, striking back. In November, it came after more than two years for the first time to the podium of the Bundestag and spoke about defence policy. In addition, she was one of the few Union members that voted against the adoption of the UN migration Pact.

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