section_path: Political positions/Lawsuit against disclosure of additional income
section_name: Lawsuit against disclosure of additional income
paragraph_text: Lawsuit against disclosure of additional income
  
  In 2005, the law was amended to require the public disclosure of income from secondary activities of members of parliament. Merz reportedly had 18, 11, or, according to the management of the Bundestag, 14 secondary activities in addition to his parliamentary work. Together with eight other members of the Bundestag, Merz filed a lawsuit against the disclosure of their secondary income at the Federal Constitutional Court. Among other arguments, the plaintiffs claimed that the disclosure requirement would encourage MPs to pursue career politics, potentially distancing them from real-life experiences. In July 2007, the Federal Constitutional Court rejected the lawsuit in two parts. It ruled unanimously that the political mandate must be central to parliamentary activities. In a tied 4–4 vote, it upheld the disclosure requirement and enforcement mechanism, arguing that transparency to voters about potential conflicts of interest ensures the independence of the Bundestag.