analysis
Status: 04/14/2022 7:24 p.m
When consideration was given to a successor to Minister Spiegel, the name Paus was rarely mentioned, if at all. Now the financial expert is the new family minister – and has central traffic light projects ahead of her
At the press conference in the afternoon, Lisa Paus was asked how much convincing the Green party leadership had to do: “Of course I had to think about it first. That wasn’t my plan at first.”
But then she lists why it was obvious for her to follow the call: Feminist, fighting for equality and basic child security for years. She burns for social justice, says the 53-year-old as she stands in the party headquarters between the party leaders.
Financial expert of the green parliamentary group
So change of plan. Lisa Paus is known as a financial expert for the Green parliamentary group. Wirecard investigative committee. In this role, she was not very squeamish with the man in whose cabinet she is now changing: Olaf Scholz, Federal Chancellor, before that Minister of Finance.
There has been speculation about many names since Anne Spiegel’s resignation as Minister for Family Affairs. In these thought experiments, the name Paus was rarely, if ever, brought up.
Cold start as federal minister
A woman with competence. Party leader Ricarda Lang made this search profile public on Tuesday. The party leadership wanted to avoid a discussion about the Easter days. The cast worked. Lisa Paus will now have to clear up certain doubts about the cast with her specific work in the ministry.
She has political experience – including in negotiations – but it will be a cold start as federal minister. According to Paus, there are “a whole series of ministers” in the new government who previously had no administrative experience: “I think they’re all doing a good job and I’m trying to do the same.”
Top candidate of the Berlin state association
Lisa Paus entered the federal elections as the top candidate of the Berlin state association. However, she was born much further west: in Rheine in Münsterland. Just a few kilometers away is the “Hermann Paus Maschinenfabrik”, founded by his father and now run by Paus’ older brothers.
After graduating from high school, she went to Hamburg, where she did a voluntary social year in a children’s home. She moves on to Berlin to study economics and political science. In the capital she has been active in the Greens since 1995.
Lisa Paus has the qualifications for the office of family minister: Albrecht von Lucke, political scientist
Tagesschau 5:00 p.m., April 14, 2022
Single mother of one son
The deputy parliamentary group leader of the Greens in the Bundestag has been the single mother of a son since her husband died of cancer. That’s why, says Ricarda Lang, Paus recognizes “from his own experience the many challenges that many families in our country are still experiencing.” Paus adds that she herself is “really privileged” as a long-standing member of parliament. “It has nothing to do with the situation of the vast majority of single parents in this country, and it’s about them.”
The previous woman of figures and finances moves into the family ministry. There are points of contact with the new field of activity. She brought an initial list of priorities to the press conference. On it stands the basic child security, i.e. the plan to bundle all state support services for children. Paus called for this early on and developed a corresponding concept with the Greens. It is a central project of the traffic light coalition. Paus is now a key player in implementation.
A long to-do list
The Federal Ministry for Family Affairs is excited about the “new girl” and hopes that she will stay longer than her predecessors. Just over a year ago, Franziska Giffey resigned because of allegations of plagiarism. The Minister of Justice at the time, Christine Lambrecht, also took over the post in the Ministry for Family Affairs. An interim solution until the new elections. Anne Spiegel followed, staying just under 120 days and leaving behind a long list of tasks.
“We now have the fourth federal family minister within twelve months,” complains Dorothee Bär, deputy CSU chairwoman in an interview with the ARD Capital Studio. “Of course that’s not what the families, what the children in our country need.” She wishes for “consistency” in the ministry.
In the coalition agreement, the traffic light coalition has made a number of things that need to be initiated in the Ministry for Family Affairs. The cornerstones of the self-determination law, which is to replace the transsexual law, which has been controversial for years, are to be in place before the parliamentary summer break.
The basic child security is more of a long-distance run
The Democracy Promotion Act is also eagerly awaited by many, especially associations that are dependent on subsidies. So far there is only one discussion paper for this. For most projects, however, cooperation with other ministries is necessary – for example with the Self-Determination Act with the FDP-led Ministry of Justice, with the Democracy Promotion Act with the SPD-led Ministry of the Interior.
Lisa Paus becomes the new Federal Minister for Family Affairs
Sarah Frühauf, ARD Berlin, daily news at 4:00 p.m., April 14, 2022
The prestige project of the traffic light, the basic child security, is more of a long-distance run. A working group is to present key points by the end of 2023. So far, the ministry has said that it will be happy if the new family support comes before the end of the legislature. The project is complex. “I’m ready,” says Lisa Paus for her new job. She doesn’t have much time to get used to the new plan for her political career.