Niedersachsen parliament lifts immunity of SPD leader Stefan Politze amid investigation

In a unanimous vote, the Lower Saxony Landtag revoked the parliamentary immunity of SPD faction head Stefan Politze, allowing a criminal investigation to proceed. Politze, a 61-year-old member of the state parliament since 2008, told the press agency dpa that he had not been informed of the reasons for the probe but asserted he had done nothing wrong. He promised to cooperate fully and provide any requested documents once he gains access to the case files.

SPD parliamentary manager Wiard Siebels said the immunity lift does not immediately impact Politze’s position as faction chair and that any political consequences will depend on the investigation’s findings. The Hannover public prosecutor’s office confirmed the existence of the investigation but declined to disclose further details.