After massive criticism, the Rhineland-Palatinate Interior Minister Roger Lewentz (SPD) resigned. The state parliament had previously met for a session in the morning to discuss Lewentz’s behavior during the 2021 flood disaster in the Ahr Valley. At least 134 people lost their lives in Rhineland-Palatinate alone.
Not only the opposition had demanded answers from Lewentz, Prime Minister Malu Dreyer (SPD) also demanded clarification. Lewentz found himself in need of explanation after police documents about the night of flooding in the Ahr valley appeared belatedly.
In the past few weeks, criticism of Lewentz has become louder. So far, the Minister of the Interior and top civil protection officer in Rhineland-Palatinate had always argued that he had no comprehensive picture of the situation on the night of the flood, but only selective information. Gradually it came out that he was said to have been informed of the situation at an early stage.
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