Recently, some calm had returned to the AfD faction in the southwest, which is known for chaos. This is now over: The faction leader is resigning because he has trouble with the judiciary. Who will fill the power vacuum?
Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) - AfD parliamentary group leader Bernd Gögel resigns after a penalty order due to allegations of undeclared work. He wanted to resign his office on December 31, 2022, said Gögel on Tuesday at the sidelines of a parliamentary group meeting. "On the one hand, I'm doing this to avert damage to the group in view of the ongoing legal proceedings, the duration of which is not foreseeable," he justified the decision. "Secondly, I'm doing this to open up the parliamentary group to a breath of fresh air and young ideas. I don't want to stand in the way of the renewal process."
Gögel had previously received a penalty order for allegations of undeclared work. The District Court of Pforzheim imposed a fine of 140 daily rates of 195 euros each for allegations of withholding and misappropriation of wages in eleven cases. That would be a total of 27,300 euros. Gögel would have a criminal record if he accepted the penalty order. However, according to his own statements, he has lodged an objection. This should lead to a process.
From 2003, Gögel was a self-employed forwarding agent and managing director in Sulz am Neckar, as can be seen from his curriculum vitae on the state parliament's website. The group spokesman explained that the forwarding company was discontinued in 2017. The Standing Committee of the state parliament reportedly decided in September 2022 to lift the MP's immunity.
