The planned appointment of Ferda Ataman to head the anti-discrimination office in the Ministry for Family Affairs has added a new facet to the federal government's system of commissioners.
Ataman herself is apparently aware that her forthcoming appointment is not necessarily based on professional qualifications, but on the fact that she is an activist and has dealt properly.
A number of her tweets that could underpin this reputation have been deleted by her.
Referring to Germans as “potatoes” is just one of her comments, suggesting that she has her own notion of discrimination.
She repeatedly did a disservice to the need to promote the “cohesion” that she also praised in socio-political debates about migration, equal rights or identity.
More jewelry than substance
Not only in the Union faction, but also in the FDP faction, there is the fear that nothing will change once Ataman is in office.
There were no serious concerns in the red-green-yellow cabinet.
One department doesn't want to upset the other.
This points to the facets of these offices that are already known.
Federal and state ministries and parliaments create commissioners whose mandate has more ornaments than substance.
There is now a whole army of them, although ministers, civil servants and members of parliament have been elected or appointed to carry out such tasks themselves.
In this respect, the Ataman's appointment is consistent.
Commissionership is activism.