Spiegel’s resignation: When the headwind becomes too strong

Even as a minister in Rhineland-Palatinate, Spiegel was quite controversial. “Headwind makes me more combative,” she said at the time. She recently had to listen to the criticism of being overwhelmed more often.

The final decision comes along short and quiet. A press release. A few lines. It should be Anne Spiegel’s last public words for today: “Due to political pressure, I decided today to make the office of Federal Family Minister available.” And further: “I do this to avert damage to the office, which is facing major political challenges.” This answers the question that has been in the room since the performance late Sunday evening at the latest: Will she survive it?

Christian Kretschmer

It was announced over the weekend that Spiegel had gone on vacation for four weeks ten days after the flood disaster in mid-July. On Sunday evening, Spiegel surprisingly appeared in front of television cameras, described the vacation as a mistake and apologized for it. Spiegel, mother of four, spoke visibly touched by her husband’s stroke and the stress on her family during the corona pandemic. Both were reasons to go on vacation. The day after, in the late morning, Olaf Scholz had his spokeswoman say that this statement had “also moved and affected the Chancellor personally”. He does not comment on the political future of Spiegel.

Already controversial as state minister

Far north, in Schleswig-Holstein, the Federal Executive Committee of the Greens meets for a closed session. The conference hotel wishes you a “pleasant stay and a successful conference”. But the agenda is history before the camera teams can start shooting the usual pictures at noon. The board needs time for consultation, it is said. Unsurprisingly. Hardly anything gets out. If you ask around in the party, many questions go unanswered. The exam was actually supposed to be about civil protection, Ukraine and how the party wants to be set up for the future. Now the future of the Green Federal Family Minister is being discussed.

As a state minister in Rhineland-Palatinate, Spiegel had to endure a lot and was quite controversial. In 2016 she became Minister for Integration and Family there. She came under pressure especially in the aftermath of the refugee crisis, for example when her state ministry prevented the deportation of a Lebanese family – even though a court had declared them lawful. Allegations were made that Spiegel did not accept the separation of powers. When an Afghan refugee murdered a 15-year-old girl in Kandel, Rhineland-Palatinate, in 2017, Spiegel received massive hostility and death threats. She was then given personal protection. “Headwind makes me more combative,” she said at the time.

Double burden: “It was too much”

At the beginning of 2021, Spiegel also took over the management of the Ministry of the Environment in Rhineland-Palatinate in addition to her position as Minister for Family Affairs. Her predecessor had previously resigned for illegal promotions. In retrospect, Spiegel said in her statement on Sunday evening that this double burden was a mistake: “It was too much.”

The criticism of being overwhelmed has recently had to be heard more often by Spiegel. Even when she had to answer to the investigative committee of the state parliament about the flood disaster in the Ahr Valley about a month ago in her function as former environment minister in Rhineland-Palatinate. One accusation: Your ministry at the time and the subordinate State Office for the Environment did not adequately warn of the destructive flood. Chat messages from Spiegel caused a stir, in which they warned of a “blame game” immediately after the night of the floods – i.e. the question of who in the ranks of the Rhineland-Palatinate state government was to be blamed for the catastrophe.

Worried about your own image?

After Spiegel testified before the committee of inquiry, Union politicians at the federal level were already calling for her resignation as Minister for Family Affairs. Spiegel was more interested in self-expression than in the people in the flood area. Spiegel also defended herself vehemently at the time, saying that her actions after the flood disaster had no other priority than helping those affected in the Ahr Valley. The text messages criticized were few out of thousands. But with the announcement of her four-week vacation, the pressure increased. Now the resignation. Shortly before, Economics Minister Robert Habeck had said that Spiegel’s press conference got under the skin.

Shortly after the withdrawal press release, the green party leaders in Husum come out of the conference hotel. Both look serious and depressed. Up to that point, the very front row of the party had made no comments on the defense. Probably also a signal. Party leader Ricarda Lang said in a very brief appearance that they were “in close contact” with Spiegel. And: “We have the greatest respect for their courage and their clarity.” And Omid Nouripour praises Spiegel for having done an “incredibly good job”.

successor unclear

Who is following? Anne Spiegel is a left wing woman from Rhineland-Palatinate. What criteria do the Greens want to meet after the first departure in the Scholz cabinet? In order for parity to be maintained, it would have to be a woman again. That would speak against Anton Hofreiter, who is already being speculated about. He had come up empty-handed when the cabinet was formed. Katrin Göring-Eckhardt, the current Vice President of the Bundestag? She does not belong to the left wing of the party.

A proposal for a successor should follow soon, says Lang, before she goes back to a closed conference, the procedure of which was thrown overboard. The campaigners in Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia in particular should hope that the proposal will come quickly.