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Horst Seehofer, here on January 16, 2019 in Berlin. REUTERS / Hannibal Hanschke

The German Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer abandons this Saturday, January 19th the head of the CSU, which he occupied for more than ten years.

With our correspondent in Berlin, Pascal Thibaut

After ten years at the head of the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), Horst Seehofer passes the hand. In March he stepped down as president of the region in favor of his opponent, Markus Söder, who will succeed him again on Saturday.

Horst Seehofer, however, remains Minister of the Interior, a position he has held since last March. Many, however, expected the departure of this unpopular minister, especially after the scathing failure of his party in the Bavarian elections in October.

At CSU, where Horst Seehofer is reproached for his solitary policy, we are relieved to see him give way. In 2013, however, it had achieved the absolute majority in Bavaria and helped modernize it, in particular by giving more responsibilities to women.

In Berlin, Horst Seehofer is seen as a troublemaker, especially with his difficult relations with Angela Merkel, whose migration policy he has constantly criticized. His record as Minister of the Interior is slim. But perhaps he does not want to bow down and leave the stage out of pride before the Chancellor.