Forward conversations
The forward talks , which gave sponsors exclusive access to SPD politicians and SPD ministers, are considered a practice of party sponsorship . The scandal was made public by the ZDF magazine Frontal 21 .
The SPD agency NWMD, a subsidiary of the SPD belonging to the German printing and publishing company , offered meetings with ministers, state secretaries and functionaries of the party for payments of 3,000 to 7,000 euros. Critics see this as a violation of the laws on party funding.
Justice Minister Heiko Maas , Labor Minister Andrea Nahles , Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks and Family Minister Manuela Schwesig took part in the controversial forward talks . Meetings were also organized with the parliamentary group chairman Thomas Oppermann , general secretary Katarina Barley as well as the state secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs Matthias Machnig and the member of the Bundestag Hubertus Heil .