Germany: After massive pressure: Family Minister Spiegel resigns

Berlin - Federal Family Minister Anne Spiegel (Greens) has announced her resignation. “Due to political pressure, I decided today to make the position of Federal Family Minister available. I am doing this to prevent damage to the office which faces major political challenges," she said in a statement on Monday.

Spiegel had come under increasing pressure in the past few hours. The background was media reports, according to which she, as Environment Minister in Rhineland-Palatinate, traveled to France with her family for four weeks shortly after the Ahr flood disaster with more than 130 dead. In addition, she had to correct her own statements, according to which she had not digitally participated in the cabinet meetings in Rhineland-Palatinate during this time.

Scholz stood behind the minister
Spiegel justified the vacation trip with her husband's stroke in 2019 and the burden on her four children from the corona pandemic. That's why she refused to resign on Sunday evening. The CDU/CSU and AfD had previously requested this.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) backed the minister on Monday morning. "He works closely and trustingly with her," said a government spokesman. Her appearance on Sunday, which observers perceived as confused and overwhelmed, "impressed me very much as a human being".

Source: Junge Freiheit