Markus Söder calls the resignation of CSU colleague Stephan Mayer a “human tragedy”

Stephen Mayer
“He’s not doing well”: Markus Söder calls the resignation of CSU General Secretary “a human tragedy”

CSU boss Markus Söder has described the resignation of Secretary General Stephan Mayer as a “human tragedy”. “Today is a bitter day – I am also personally very affected,” said Söder in Munich. He announced that the successor should be clarified “soon”. He wants to exchange ideas with the CSU presidium on Wednesday in a telephone switchboard.

“He’s really not feeling well”

Söder confirmed Mayer’s own account that the surprising resignation on Tuesday was due to health reasons. “He’s actually not well.” Söder praised the previous work of the Secretary General, who had only been in office since February, as “excellent”. “We were all convinced that we would make a good team,” he said.

At the same time, Söder also confirmed that Mayer had verbally attacked a journalist from the “Bunte” magazine. “The words that were probably said are not to be accepted in any way,” said the Bavarian Prime Minister.

Mayer’s attack preceded a report by “Bunte” about an alleged illegitimate child. Mayer is said to have yelled at the journalists with the words: “I will destroy you, I will find you, I will follow you to the end of your life – I am demanding 200,000 euros in damages, which you must transfer to me today.”

“You can’t stop reporting”

The “Bunte” reporter Manfred Otzelberger, who was attacked in this way, said on the sidelines of the Söder statement that Mayer had attacked him at a volume “that reminded me of a jet fighter”. Before reporting, he gave Mayer the opportunity to respond to his questions.

But there was no reaction from Mayer, so the next day he sent a letter from a media lawyer, said Otzelberger. Mayer simply refused to answer his questions. “You can’t stop reporting,” said Otzelberger.

nik
AFP