A Berlin administrative court ruled that the German Bundestag may lawfully deny a former lawmaker access to the parliamentary building and IT systems [2].
The decision limits the ability of former members of parliament to maintain high-level access when transitioning into staff roles. It establishes a legal precedent for how the Bundestag administration manages security and privileges for personnel who no longer hold elected office.
Ulrich Oehme, a former member of the Bundestag for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, currently works as an AfD staffer [1]. Despite his employment role, the administration withheld his house badge and access to internal IT systems [1].
Oehme challenged the restriction in court, seeking the privileges typically afforded to parliamentary staff. However, the administrative court upheld the decision of the Bundestag administration [2]. The ruling confirms that the administration has the legal authority to refuse the badge and IT privileges to Oehme in his current capacity [2].
The dispute centers on the distinction between the rights of elected representatives and those of staff members. While the AfD maintains its presence in the legislature, the court focused on the specific administrative right to control access to the secure facilities of the Bundestag [1], [2].
“A Berlin administrative court ruled that the Bundestag administration may lawfully refuse him access.”
This ruling reinforces the authority of the Bundestag administration to restrict access to sensitive infrastructure based on an individual's current legal status rather than their previous rank. By denying a former MP the privileges of a staff badge, the court has signaled that previous elected status does not grant a permanent or automatic right to internal security clearances.
