Leading SPD politicians have accused CDU politician Roderich Kiesewetter of spreading false information about an allegedly planned meeting between Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Russian President Vladimir Putin before the federal election. Scholz himself said: “This is a false claim, you shouldn't do something like that, it's deeply indecent, there is no evidence for it,” he said in Berlin. “That’s why I think even sincere people can be outraged when false allegations are made.” Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit has already announced legal action against Kiesewetter because of this.

On Saturday, Kiesewetter wrote on

SPD General Secretary Miersch said at the presentation of SPD election posters in Berlin that he had called on CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann to “immediately” get Kiesewetter to delete the message and apologize. Kiesewetter's statement was a “clear violation” of the fairness agreementwhich all parties represented in the Bundestag except the AfD and BSW agreed to shortly before Christmas.

Also SPD parliamentary group leader Mützenich reminded the CDU of the fairness agreement. “With such fictitious claims, key representatives of the CDU/CSU faction are obviously trying to construct arguments against Olaf Scholz’s sensible foreign policy course,” he told the German Press Agency. “Friedrich Merz, as parliamentary group leader, should quickly ensure that Kiesewetter retracts his false statements and publicly apologizes to the Chancellor.”

In addition, the leadership of the Union must examine whether Mr. Kiesewetter can remain a member of the Parliamentary Control Committee for the Secret Services for longer, added Mützenich. “After all, highly confidential questions that are also relevant to foreign policy are clarified here.”

Kiesewetter's post was still online on Sunday.