Greens parliamentary group leader in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern resigns over harassment allegations

In MV, Green Party parliamentary group leader Constanze Oehlrich resigns just weeks before the state election. Previously, new allegations of harassment had been made against her.

18.8.2026 | 7:33 PM

Photo: Jens Büttner/dpa

By Rainer Rutz

For the Greens in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, every vote counts in the state election on September 20. Some polls see them at 5 percent, others below. What the state association does not need in this situation is internal squabbling. Yet that is exactly what the party in the northeast is making headlines for—once again.

Just weeks before the election, the chairwoman of the Green Party parliamentary group in the Schwerin state parliament, Constanze Oehlrich, is quitting. She has decided to resign from the office with immediate effect, the 51-year-old announced on Monday. The trigger is, on one hand, reports in Welt and Nordkurier that Oehlrich had sexually harassed a parliamentary group employee in the past.

On the other hand, an internal resolution by the Green Party state executive board from August 4 plays a role. It states: "The affected person perceived these actions and statements with sexualized language by Constanze Oehlrich as degrading or burdensome." This blatantly contradicts "the fundamental values and the substantive positions" of the party.

Resignation as Top Candidate Already in Early 2026

It is the low point of an affair that has been dragging on for a year involving the native of Bonn, who has led the parliamentary group since 2024. Because the harassment allegations are not new. The uproar over them was already significant last year. At the beginning of 2026, Oehlrich then had to give up the top candidacy for the state election, which was originally reserved for her. Afterwards, there was much talk of a new beginning within the party.

Unimpressed by this, the trained political scientist remained at the head of the parliamentary group with its only four members. Until now. Although all allegations had long since been "reviewed in an independent procedure and dismissed as unfounded," Oehlrich explained. Nevertheless, she is resigning "to protect my parliamentary group, my family, and myself from further harm."

In fact, a law firm commissioned by the Green Party parliamentary group manager concluded as early as November 2025 that the accusations were "not substantiated and legally unfounded." That did not convince everyone in the party. And the new allegations weigh far more heavily in detail than the many rumors from last year.

Explosive Rear Views

Independently of each other, Welt and Nordkurier quote extensively from a letter dated July 29, which two state-funded anti-discrimination counseling centers addressed to the parliamentary group and the state executive board of the Greens. Oehlrich's former employee reports in it of "unwanted declarations of love and affection and verbal sexual harassment" up to a reprimand from the boss that the twelve-year-younger man wore "too little body-hugging clothing" and should put on something that "fits tighter on the bottom." This goes on for four pages.

Oehlrich was not heard for the report. It exclusively reflects the employee's perspective. The fact that the state executive board readily endorsed this is, according to taz information, causing irritation within the small parliamentary group. One could also say: massive discontent.

The external impact is fatal. After the party had invoked a great new beginning eight months ago by replacing top candidate Oehlrich and wanted to leave everything behind, now, shortly before the election, it is back to square one: a state association as a self-employment group.