The scandal “once again underscores the fundamental shortcomings of Germany’s current development aid policy: Billions are spent without Germany or partner countries benefiting in any sustainable way,” said Rocco Kever, the spokesperson for development policy at the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
As a solution, Kever cited the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump gutting USAID, America’s development agency, as an “interesting and courageous signal.”
GIZ told WELT it is reviewing the findings of its audit, adding that it takes compliance violations “very seriously” and investigates such matters carefully. The agency said its employees are bound by internal guidelines, rules and principles of integrity, and that it applies a zero-tolerance policy to breaches of those standards.
The agency also said it had carried out an organizational overhaul in Yemen and replaced senior finance and procurement roles in the Yemen portfolio.
While the AfD is not in power, it is leading in national polls. According to media reports, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s center-right Christian Democrats had also considered abolishing the development ministry during coalition talks in 2025, but its coalition partner, the center-left Social Democrats, opposed the move.
A motion by the AfD is set to be debated on Thursday in the German parliament, where it is expected to be rejected by a broad majority of all other parliamentary groups.