After the distribution of the ministerial posts, the Greens transport politician Anton Hofreiter is left empty-handed when it comes to filling positions on the railway supervisory board. The Greens surprisingly decided on Tuesday to send transport politician Stefan Gelbhaar to the supervisory board of Germany’s largest state-owned company. The group announced this in the evening. Gelbhaar is the transport spokesman for his parliamentary group. Hofreiter was also under discussion for the post.
The governing parties and the Ministry of Transport have the option of sending representatives directly to Deutsche Bahn’s supervisory body. This means that politicians have direct access to the direction of the group. Other representatives have already been determined. The SPD parliamentary group sent the member of parliament Dorothee Martin, the FDP the parliamentarian Bernd Reuther to the supervisory board. Both are also transport policy spokespersons for their parliamentary groups.
Hofreiter is one of the most prominent transport politicians. He is also very familiar with the train. From 2011 to 2013, the parliamentary group leader for many years headed the transport committee of the Bundestag. He is currently Chairman of the European Committee of the Bundestag. Hofreiter unexpectedly had to step back when filling the cabinet posts when the traffic light government was formed at the end of last year.
The transport policy spokesman for the Greens, Stefan Gelbhaar, in the Leisepark in Berlin. Now he is moving into the supervisory board of Deutsche Bahn.
(Photo: Sonja Marzoner)
He had recently repeatedly criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s (SPD) course in the Ukraine war and accused him of acting too hesitantly. His loud appearance not only met with approval in his own parliamentary group, it said on Tuesday in parliamentary group circles. The Berlin MP Gelbhaar, on the other hand, is considered a pragmatic Green, who polarizes less and in critical situations tends to be one, according to the Greens.
A skill that could come in handy on the railway. The group’s supervisory board is likely to play an important role in the planned restructuring. The traffic light parties had already decided in the coalition agreement to separate the network and operations, i.e. train traffic and the rail network, more closely. This will change the company and create some excitement. Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) also advocates a stronger separation of the two areas.