Kultursenatorin wegen Rechnungshofberichts unter Druck
Berlin's Court of Audit has issued a scathing report accusing Culture Senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson (independent) of serious legal violations in the allocation of €2.6 million in anti-Semitism prevention grants for 2025. The audit found that the selection process was arbitrary, lacked transparent criteria, and violated state budget regulations. Six of the 13 funded projects—receiving €2 million—were deemed ineligible for the specific budget line, and some recipients were newly founded entities that were not properly vetted. The report warns that the grants may need to be repaid.
This matters because it exposes a major governance failure in Berlin's cultural administration at a politically sensitive time. The funding was significantly increased after the October 2023 Hamas attack to combat rising anti-Semitism, but the process has been mired in accusations of political interference by the CDU faction. The scandal has intensified pressure on Senator Wedl-Wilson, with opposition parties calling for her dismissal and a parliamentary committee of inquiry already established. The case raises broader questions about accountability, transparency, and the integrity of public arts funding in Germany.