Coronavirus Inquiry Committee: AfD Wants to Question Kretschmer and Köpping

The AfD wants to question Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) and Health Minister Petra Köpping (SPD) before the Saxon State Parliament’s COVID-19 investigative committee. It has not yet been determined when they will testify before the committee, said state legislators Thomas Prantl and André Wendt in Dresden. The questioning can no longer take place this year, as only one more session is scheduled.

According to the state parliament administration, the AfD can initiate the questioning of witnesses without the support of other parliamentary groups.

Questions regarding the handling of children and vaccine-related injuries

Among other things, Kretschmer is expected to comment on a statement he made in December 2020. At that time, he had suggested isolating people who did not agree with a quarantine order through police measures, Prantl said. He accused the Minister-President of having intended to deter critics with his announcements—critics who had shown no understanding for the measures and were unwilling to comply with them.

According to the AfD’s plans, the questioning of Health Minister Köpping will focus on the handling of children and adolescents. She is also expected to comment on the slow recognition of vaccine-related injuries.

Committee to Review Saxony’s Pandemic Policy

The investigative committee was established two years ago at the initiative of the AfD parliamentary group. It is tasked with critically examining the Saxon government’s response to the coronavirus from 2019 to 2024. Since the pandemic began in Saxony in March 2020, approximately 17,750 people have died from COVID-19 there. 

The expert testimonies have now been completed, Wendt said. The questioning of witnesses is now beginning. According to reports, the final report is not expected before 2029. It would thus fall toward the end of the current legislative term.

In addition to the investigative committee, a fact-finding commission in Saxony is also working on the review of the pandemic.