Hesse CDU politician Michael Meister has to vacate his post as state minister in the Chancellery. The decision by Friedrich Merz (CDU) is met with respect but also regret in the Hesse state association. There is no open protest as in other state associations.
Hesse CDU Secretary General Leopold Born praised Meister when asked by the FAZ as “a strong and important voice of Hesse in Berlin.” He is one of the longest-serving parliamentarians and an important source of inspiration in federal politics. Born emphasized that the Hesse CDU respects the chancellor’s decision. Meister himself thanked his colleagues on Instagram for the cooperation and announced that he would continue to exercise his Bundestag mandate for the Bergstraße district “with undiminished commitment.”
District chairwoman Birgit Heiland (CDU) expressed extraordinary regret over the personnel decision in an interview with the “Mannheimer Morgen,” but stood behind the chancellor. District administrator Christian Engelhardt (CDU) called Meister a “political exceptional figure” on Facebook. Meister has been a member of the Bundestag since 1994 and previously served as Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Education. Merz had appointed him state minister in the Chancellery only last year, where he was responsible for federal-state cooperation.
Meister’s duties will be taken over by the previous Parliamentary State Secretary in the Digital Ministry, Philipp Amthor (CDU). The appointments by the Federal President are scheduled for Wednesday.
Source: www.faz.net
