Strobl: Minister of the Interior considers allegations of "sensationalism"

Created: 2022-05-11Updated: 2022-05-11, 2:11 p.m

Baden-Württemberg's Interior Minister Thomas Strobl speaks in a state parliament session in the plenary hall.

© Bernd Weißbrod/dpa

"Clear breach of law" or just "theater thunder"?

The opposition considers Interior Minister Strobl to be intolerable in the affair of a punctured letter.

Greens and CDU support Strobl - even if not everyone finds the transfer of the document very clever.

Stuttgart - Baden-Württemberg's Minister of the Interior, Thomas Strobl, has vigorously defended himself against allegations by the opposition in the affair surrounding the disclosure of a lawyer's letter to the press.

"Where there is no secret, no secret can be revealed," said the CDU politician on Wednesday in the state parliament in Stuttgart.

It was "right and important" to make the offer of the lawyer for the high-ranking police officer who is being investigated for sexual harassment to the ministry public.

The lawyer's suggestion was: "We'll take care of that through official channels." Strobl emphasized: "That can't be arranged with me." carpet to be swept".

The public prosecutor's office has been investigating the interior minister for a week on suspicion of prohibited disclosures about court hearings, and the opposition has been demanding Strobl's dismissal ever since.

The FDP domestic politician Julia Goll explained in the debate that Strobl had betrayed official secrets by passing on the letter from a police officer's lawyer.

In addition, the CDU politician violated his duty of care towards the official.

Strobl lacks "awareness of the problem".

Goll said: "He is still of the opinion that he acted absolutely correctly." Worst of all, however, is that the Minister of the Interior is obstructing the judiciary by not authorizing the public prosecutor's office to investigate violations of official secrets.

The prosecution had announced that they were investigating a journalist, the minister and his staff on suspicion of illegal disclosure of court hearings.

The reporter is suspected of quoting from official documents of an ongoing case.

Strobl, in turn, is said to have incited him to do so, the employee is said to have provided assistance because he forwarded the letter.

The minister admitted a week ago that he sent the journalist the letter in December.

Goll asked Strobl: "Since when, Minister of the Interior, have newspapers actually replaced your press office?" SPD parliamentary group leader Andreas Stoch repeatedly called on Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann to influence the minister so that he authorizes the public prosecutor's office to investigate breaches of official secrecy .

"I don't understand how you can only watch when the law is broken," said Stoch.

He reproached the Greens politician that the continued existence of the coalition with the CDU and his friendship with Strobl were more important to him than the rule of law.

The Minister of the Interior and CDU state chief confirmed that the investigations against him were in order and "legitimate in the literal sense".

This is the rule of law for which he lives and works.

If the FDP filed a criminal complaint against him, it would only be "cheap sensationalism and theatrical thunder", since all the facts were on the table.

It is also not the case that his ministry has stopped investigations by the public prosecutor's office because of the violation of official secrets.

Anyone who accuses him of this is "malicious".

There have not yet been any investigations because the ministry has not authorized them.

"The truth hurts, I understand that," Strobl said to the opposition.

The minister again received support from the coalition.

Green parliamentary group leader Andreas Schwarz said the opposition's allegations against Strobl were "underground".

It goes without saying that it is the task of the opposition to keep a close eye on the government.

But that's not what the FDP and SPD are about here.

"They are only concerned with damaging the interior minister personally." The constant demands for his resignation against Strobl are misplaced.

"The Minister of the Interior is doing an excellent job."

more on the subject

Green faction leader throws himself into the breach for Strobl

FDP files criminal charges against Strobl: backing from CDU

Strobl for investigations in distress: Kretschmann is silent

CDU faction leader Manuel Hagel called the opposition's allegations "clumsy, loud and dull".

The way the SPD and FDP dealt with Strobl had something "manic".

However, Hagel also voiced slight criticism of the disclosure of the lawyer's letter.

It is true that the letter was made public, but it could have been "transported more skilfully".

For the AfD, the parliamentary group leader Bernd Gögel said: "It's a disgrace for the entire Kretschmann government." Strobl's reaction to the lawyer's letter contradicted common sense.

"Any clerk could have done that better than the fully qualified lawyer, Minister of the Interior Strobl." dpa