With small inquiries, the opposition in the state parliament is trying to get information about the work of the state government. But she is not always satisfied with the answers.
Schwerin (dpa/mv) - The opposition in the Schwerin state parliament apparently takes the control of government work seriously, even during the parliamentary summer break. Since the last plenary session before the start of the holiday on July 1, the ministries of the red-red government have received 50 additional small inquiries.
Almost half of them came from the AfD, the largest opposition group with 14 MPs. Among other things, she wants to know how the facility-related compulsory vaccination for employees in care facilities, which she criticizes, is being enforced. Another question relates to preparations for the possible establishment of heating halls in the country in the event of an acute gas shortage in winter. "Examples such as the Corona measures and the climate foundation show how important it is to closely monitor the state government and its actions," said AfD MP Thore Stein.
The CDU, which had to take a seat on the opposition bench after the state elections last autumn, has also rediscovered the instrument of the small inquiry for itself. Among other things, she currently wants to know what effects the price increases for building materials will have on the investment activity of hospitals in the country and how the government is reacting to them.
"Small inquiries are among the most important tools that the state parliament uses to control the work of the government. Unfortunately, we find that the quality of the answers often leaves a lot to be desired: sometimes the government answers evasively, very generally or not at all," complained the CDU MP Sebastian Ehlers. His parliamentary group is therefore having an explosive case examined by the constitutional court.
As can be seen from a list by the state parliament administration, a total of 553 small inquiries have been received since the beginning of the legislative period in autumn last year. About 490 of them have already been answered. AfD (340) and CDU (131) proved to be the most eager questioners. With a total of 4,402 inquiries, the previous record was reached in the legislative period from 2016 to 2021. In the first electoral term from 1990 to 1994, there were 1,370, less than a third of them.
The ministries, for their part, complain about the high number of inquiries that take up a lot of energy and time to answer. After a change in the rules of procedure of the state parliament, they now have 20 instead of 10 working days to reply.
