AfD MPs are suing the Bavarian Constitutional Court against the latest university reform. The parliamentary group announced on Wednesday that four MPs had filed the lawsuit. According to the AfD, parts of the new Higher Education Innovation Act are unconstitutional because there are no regulations for review by the Supreme Court of Auditors – although the universities are provided with funds from the state budget.
“We consider those provisions to be unconstitutional that repeal the Supreme Court of Auditors’ previous right to audit the higher education sector, especially with regard to the establishment of private companies by the universities,” said the parliamentary group’s budget spokesman, Ferdinand Mang.
The state parliament had passed the reform in the summer. According to the will of the state government, it should help to make the scientific landscape in Bavaria fit for the future for the next 20 to 30 years and to raise it to a top international level. Among other things, the reform is based on extensive organizational autonomy for the universities. In addition, there should be less bureaucracy and, for example, the appointment of professors should be made faster. In addition, professors and their employees should be able to invest more easily in companies or better support spin-offs.