Funding: Strobl fights for political survival

Created: 2022-10-20Updated: 2022-10-20 10:58 PM

Thomas Strobl (CDU), Minister of the Interior and State Chairman of the CDU Baden-Württemberg during the state party conference.

© Silas Stein/dpa/archive image

Interior Minister Thomas Strobl was investigated for months because he pierced a lawyer's letter to a journalist.

Now it's clear: He won't get away without a black eye.

Will he survive the biggest crisis of his career?

Stuttgart – At 9.34 p.m. the door finally opens and Thomas Strobl leaves the parliamentary group hall.

The Minister of the Interior walks past the waiting journalists, briskly, without saying a word.

He disappears into an office a few meters away.

For an hour and a half he explained himself and struggled for support.

Now the MPs continue to discuss without him, after all he is not part of the parliamentary group.

It's about nothing less than his political survival.

It has been clear since Thursday evening: The investigations against Strobl in the so-called letter affair have consequences.

Because he passed on a lawyer's letter to a journalist, the deputy prime minister had been investigated for months.

Strobl now announced in the parliamentary group that the public prosecutor's office had offered him to drop the case - but only for a hefty sum of money.

Strobl is to pay 15,000 euros.

It is also clear that he wants to accept the offer.

Otherwise he would have risked lengthy and reputation-damaging proceedings with an uncertain outcome.

The background to this is investigations by the public prosecutor's office against the highest-ranking police officer in the country, the police inspector.

He is accused of sexual harassment.

Strobl is said to have instigated a journalist to quote from the case files.

He wanted to avoid any appearance of a "backroom deal" and therefore gave the letter to the journalist, so his argument.

The opposition has been accusing the CDU politician of betraying secrets and violating data protection for months, and wants to put pressure on him with a committee of inquiry.

The reporter is also under investigation.

According to the newspaper, he declined the offer of hiring for a fee.

For a long time it was puzzled whether Strobl could survive the investigation politically or whether he would have to vacate his post as interior minister and deputy prime minister.

It was always heard that this depended on the specific outcome of the investigation.

Conditional setting?

Without condition?

penal order?

Accusation?

CDU faction leader Manuel Hagel had already canceled a delegation trip to the USA in order to be able to react to possible spontaneous shifts in power.

He is currently considered the man who pulls the strings in the CDU.

Now Strobl's political destiny has a price tag: 15,000 euros.

He doesn't have a criminal record.

The sum must also be viewed in proportion, because a minister also earns a lot and such requirements are always based on income.

But what does that mean for Strobl's future?

There are several readings.

One says that a minister who is also responsible for the constitution and is the supreme guardian of law and order must under no circumstances afford such a thing and consequently has to resign from office.

"The public prosecutor assumes that Strobl broke the law and made himself liable to prosecution," tweeted SPD parliamentary group leader Andreas Stoch in the evening.

"And by accepting it, he admits his criminal liability.

How is someone like that supposed to stay in the post of constitutional minister, Herr Kretschmann?”

Strobl's supporters cite examples where politicians have time and again been able to stay in office for a fee despite the suspension of proceedings.

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On Thursday, the beleaguered minister is asking MPs for support.

The 62-year-old had previously asked Hagel for the special session.

At 8 p.m., the parliamentarians meet in the House of Representatives, and not even their employees are allowed in the hall.

Strobl is asking for trust.

The parliamentary group said before the meeting that no one was interested in shaking the green-black coalition.

Hagel needs stability, a cabinet reshuffle would be too early for him, the next state election is not until 2026.

Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) and Strobl also work closely together.

According to reports, there was a preliminary vote in the coalition leadership - in it Hagel signaled that the CDU would support Strobl.

Kretschmann was also clear in favor of continuing on the path with his old CDU driver.

It was certainly not a pleasant evening for Strobl - but Friday is unlikely to get any better.

The minister has to answer questions in the committee of inquiry.

Against the background of the developments, the meeting is likely to be very heated for the minister.

The Presidium of the Southwest CDU should also meet on the matter by Friday at the latest.

dpa