In Brandenburg, state politics will deal with the allegations against RBB director Patricia Schlesinger and head of the administrative board Wolf-Dieter Wolf, who is leaving his office, on Tuesday. At the request of the AfD parliamentary group, the main committee responsible for media policy will meet in Potsdam on Tuesday for a special meeting. Schlesinger, Wolf and other representatives of the broadcaster should comment there.

The allegations about Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg are about allegedly incorrectly billed dinners by the director in her private rooms and the accusation against the head of the board of directors that personal contacts played a role in the commissioning of consultants. In addition, Wolf, who also sits on the supervisory board of Messe Berlin, is said to have given Schlesinger’s husband a consulting contract with the trade fair. The 16 percent increase in the director’s salary has also been criticized.

The state parliament had asked Schlesinger, Wolf and other representatives to take part in the committee meeting – but they all refused. Instead, Schlesinger and the Broadcasting Council submitted written statements.

“With the cancellation, the artistic director is missing the opportunity to regain lost trust. It is also not dignified dealings with a parliament that supports the RBB. This will be discussed at the meeting tomorrow,” said Jan Redmann, CDU parliamentary group leader in Brandenburg, the daily mirror.

Christian Goiny, who is both a member of the RBB Broadcasting Council and a member of the CDU’s House of Representatives Committee for Engagement, Federal Affairs and the Media, sees no need for a current session of the Berlin Parliament on what is happening at RBB.

“We don’t have state radio, but public broadcasters. My impression is that the control bodies at RBB work and that the processes in the station are processed by the board of directors and by the auditors, compliance officers and external law firm,” Christian Goiny told the Tagesspiegel. “If you are interested in education and not in a campaign like the AfD, you now have to wait for the result of this test. It is regrettable that the AfD is using the events in the RBB to continue their policy and to disavow public broadcasting.”

If it then turns out that things need to be clarified again in the forthcoming amendments to the media state treaties, “it must be discussed in Parliament”.

Committee member Gollaleh Ahmadi from Bündnis 90/Die Grünen also refers to the responsibility of the Broadcasting Council and the Board of Directors. “Both bodies have already had special meetings on this subject. That’s why I don’t currently see any need for an extraordinary meeting of the Committee on Commitment, the Federal Government and the Media.”

Alexander King, a committee member of the Berlin Left, does not consider a special session to be necessary during the summer break. “Now that would be too early, since the results of the tests are not available.” If there are still unanswered questions, we should investigate and deal with them. Political conclusions can then also be discussed,” he said.

“It is important for us to reject the AfD’s transparent attempt to discredit public broadcasting.”