"Tragedy": Söder surprises with a reaction balancing act to Mayer-Aus - who admits "emotional argument".

Created: 05/05/2022 05:14

By: Florian Naumann, Anna-Katharina Ahnefeld

After a scandal with a journalist: CSU General Secretary Stephan Mayer has resigned.

Party leader Markus Söder is facing an unexpected replacement.

Update from May 4, 4:50 p.m .:

CSU boss Markus Söder described the departure of his Secretary General Stephan Mayer as a “tragedy”.

Söder also cited the party friend's health problems as the reason for the political end.

However, there are also quite serious allegations in the room.

Shortly before the CSU chairman's press conference, Mayer himself admitted to a "very emotional argument" with a

journalist.

This accuses Mayer of having threatened him by telephone – in connection with a report on Mayer's private life.

In response to a request from the dpa, Mayer wrote: "I deny the specific allegations with ignorance.

In the event that this is the case, I retrospectively consider the choice of words to be inappropriate.” Mayer went on to say that there had been “a very emotional argument as a result of the blatantly unlawful reporting”.

"The

journalist, for example, described me as 'crazy' and 'that they had already dealt with others'." to raise serious violations of personality through the reporting".

The advocate of the

journalists responded to a dpa request: "My client takes note that Mr. Mayer pleads 'ignorance' in relation to a telephone call in which he himself was involved." deny substantiated, but downplay it as an "emotional dispute".

The lawyer continued: "It was actually a one-sided tirade by Mr. Mayer, in which he obviously lost all self-control." However, his client did not describe Mr. Mayer as "crazy", but Mayer's demand for a same-day payment of 200,000 euros by his client.

"The statement that 'they had already dealt with others' was never made by my client."

CSU in the Mayer scandal: Söder surprises with a balancing act – "It's a tragedy"

Update from May 4th, 10:08 a.m .:

This is the end of Markus Söder’s statement.

The CSU boss attempted a rhetorical balancing act: On the one hand, he tried to condemn Mayer's threats to a

journalist as unacceptable.

On the other hand, he portrayed the resignation of the Secretary General and companions as a "tragedy" - and referred to Mayer's health problems as the reason for the withdrawal.

"He's actually not doing well," said Söder.

The CSU chairman also seemed to want to leave some question marks about the scandal open.

It cannot be clarified whether there were one or more conversations between Mayer and the journalist, said Söder, and Mayer "cannot remember" whether the words were said.

However, there was no denial of the drastic incidents.

"I will destroy you," Mayer is said to have said to the journalist, among other things.

Söder also did not announce a successor.

The decision should be made "promptly".

For the time being, the CSU boss focused primarily on his personal concern.

Update from May 4, 10:04 a.m .:

The successor will be decided “promptly”, says Söder, the CSU wants to be able to act.

Mayer's choice of words was unacceptable, emphasizes the CSU leader, but it is "all a shame" - Söder even speaks of a "tragedy".

Update from May 4, 10 a.m.:

After Stephan Mayer’s resignation, the CSU needs a new Secretary General – and possibly also a classification of the events from the party leadership.

Markus Söder has now stepped in front of the press in Munich.

"Today is a bitter day, I'm also personally affected," says the CSU boss.

Söder reports on a "long and human conversation".

Mayer himself had urgently asked for his dismissal as Secretary General - for health reasons.

"He's actually not doing well," says Söder.

Apparently there were "one or more conversations" between Mayer and a journalist, which cannot be determined exactly.

"The words that were spoken are not to be accepted in any way," says Söder.

That applies "if the words are like that".

Mayer himself "can't remember exactly".

Mayer's resignation after "destroy" scandal: Söder now expresses himself

Preliminary report:

Munich – CSU General Secretary Stephan Mayer has surprisingly resigned.

Party leader Markus Söder now wants to comment publicly on Wednesday morning.

A statement at the CSU headquarters in Munich is scheduled for 10 a.m.

Mayer announced his resignation as Secretary-General on Tuesday evening after only two months in office, citing health reasons.

At the same time, the 48-year-old member of the Bundestag admitted that, in retrospect, the choice of words "possibly" was not appropriate to a journalist - he did not give any details.

A

journalist had previously accused the CSU politician of threatening him over the phone.

Literally, Mayer is said to have said: "I will destroy you.

I'll track you down, I'll follow you to the end of your life.

I demand 200,000 euros in compensation for pain and suffering, which you have to transfer to me today.” This was reported by the 

.

Mayer's resignation after the "destroy" scandal: CSU boss Söder comments on the resignation of his general secretary

"For health reasons, I asked the party leader of the CSU today to release me from my job as general secretary," Mayer said in a statement distributed by the CSU.

, which was based on blatantly illegal reporting,

I may have used a choice of words that I would not consider appropriate in retrospect," wrote mayer

"I very much regret this."

The

had reported on Mayer's private life.

The CSU politician had spoken to the journalist about it.

The journalist then hired lawyers.

The dpa has received a letter from a lawyer to Mayer because of his choice of words.

According to the letter, the

journalist wants to assert a claim for injunctive relief against Mayer because of threatening phone calls.

Markus Söder (r), CSU chairman and Prime Minister of Bavaria, and Stephan Mayer, then new designated CSU general secretary, come to a press conference at the party headquarters after a meeting of the CSU executive board.

Mayer resigned after only a short term in office.

CSU General Secretary Mayer resigned after only a short term in office.

© Sven Hoppe/dpa

Mayer was only appointed Secretary General at the end of February at Söder's suggestion.

His predecessor Markus Blume had become the new science minister in Bavaria as part of a cabinet reshuffle.

Now Söder has to fill the post again - and only a year and a half before the state elections, the campaign planning of which is part of the General's area of ​​responsibility.

It was unclear when Söder wanted to name a successor.

But it was not expected that this would happen on Wednesday.