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The Bavarian state parliament has once again lifted the immunity of its youngest MP, Daniel Halemba: In the plenary session, all parliamentary groups voted to lift the immunity of a parliamentarian whose name was not publicly mentioned – but who is the AfD politician.
The Würzburg public prosecutor’s office had requested this step because they wanted to bring charges against Halemba: for money laundering, coercion and joint damage to property in conjunction with joint attempted coercion. In addition, there will be allegations that have been under investigation for months: the suspicion of incitement and the use of symbols of unconstitutional organizations. Halemba’s immunity was granted for these investigations in the first plenary session of the new legislative period on October 30th repealed for the first time been.
Immunity was lifted for the first time at the end of October
The investigations against Halemba have been making headlines for months. At the end of October he was wanted for several days with an arrest warrant, finally caught in the Stuttgart area and taken to an investigating judge in Würzburg. After several hours he was released again under strict conditions. According to the public prosecutor’s office, for example, a printout of an SS order from SS Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler from 1939 was found “in a prominent place” in Halemba’s room. The arrest warrant has now been revoked.
Halemba denies allegations
The AfD MP himself protests his innocence. He had rejected the suspicion of incitement weeks ago. Regarding the new allegations, he told the BR last week that he was firmly convinced that he had not committed any criminal offense. He is confident that the proceedings will result in a dismissal or an acquittal.
The AfD federal leadership distanced itself from Halemba in December. She called on the Bavarian AfD state executive to initiate party expulsion proceedings against the 22-year-old and to “immediately revoke his membership rights.” Shortly afterwards, the Lower Franconian MP announced that he was giving up all party offices and that he would also forego exercising his AfD membership rights until further notice.
No public appearances in the state parliament for the time being
This week it became known that the AfD federal executive committee itself wants to have party expulsion proceedings prepared against Halemba. On Wednesday evening, the new allegations against him were the subject of a meeting of the AfD parliamentary group.
Halemba then announced that he would renounce all appearances in the plenary session, in committees and other public activities as a parliamentary group member until the proceedings were completed and would resign from his positions in the state parliament. “These steps do not represent an admission of guilt, but rather serve to protect the faction community.” The MP therefore did not attend the meeting today in which his immunity was lifted.
CSU parliamentary group leader Klaus Holetschek also called for an “immediate end to the embarrassing amateur spectacle of Halemba” on Wednesday and for him to resign from his mandate. “The self-proclaimed alternative continues to tolerate right-wing radical ideas and criminal behavior within its ranks.” This has no place in democracy.
AfD remains the strongest opposition faction for the time being
Formally, Halemba is still a member of the AfD parliamentary group. This means that the group’s strength remains unchanged at 32 members. This is important for the balance of power in the state parliament: The AfD faction currently has as many representatives as the Greens, but is considered the strongest opposition faction due to the slightly better election results.
For example, if Halemba were to leave the parliamentary group and remain in the state parliament as a non-attached member, the Greens would replace the AfD as the strongest opposition faction. If Halemba renounces his mandate or loses it, another AfD candidate would take over.