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Hans Georg Maasen, the former head of German Internal Intelligence, 12 September 2018. AFP / Bernd von Jutrczenka
In Germany, a controversy poisoned the climate between conservatives and social democrats around the boss of domestic intelligence, Hans-Georg Maassen. On arrival a compromise was found. Hans-Georg Maassen leaves his post and becomes Secretary of State for the Minister of the Interior.
With our correspondent in Berlin, Pascal Thibaut
Hans-Georg Maassen had questioned the authenticity of a video showing a manhunt during the antimigrant demonstrations in Chemnitz, Saxony, thus seeming to relativize the importance of the incidents. The social democrats wanted him to leave; Interior Minister Horst Seehofer objected.
The compromise found by the grand coalition to avoid a major crisis allows the conservatives and social democrats to save face even if the echo is disastrous. The SPD, the Social Democrat Party, which demanded the resignation of the president of the interior intelligence, wins the case. Horst Seehofer, who defended him, did not retreat: he will appoint him secretary of state in his ministry.
Compromise " Merkel "
In passing, Hans-Georg Maassen, apart from this recognition, wins a significant salary increase. A majority of Germans wanted the chief of internal intelligence to resign after the recent controversy. The next opinion polls may say what they think of the compromise reached on 18 September.
Already, the first comments of the German press are vitriol. " A tragedy in comic opera ", " a number for a cabaret player ", can you read it. The opposition is red-hot on the compromise of the grand coalition. " An incredible trick ", " a farce that rewards illoyality, " say environmentalists and Die Linke (left).
For Klaus Peter Sick, a researcher at the Marc Bloch Center, a Franco-German social science institute, " it's a compromise to Angela Merkel. She is right and at the same time, she agrees with her Minister of the Interior, "Horst Seehofer, of the CSU, the party of the Bavarian Conservatives, whose positions differ from the Chancellor on issues like immigration, by example.
For the researcher, " Angela Merkel is challenged as never and at the same time, there is no visible alternative so the coalition government will continue ."