Status: 15.01.2024, 11:19 a.m.
CommentsPrint Share
Ties Rabe, Hamburg's Senator for Schools and Vocational Training, speaks to journalists. © Paul Zinken/dpa
Bang in the Hamburg school authority. After around 13 years in office, Germany's longest-serving Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs Rabe is surprisingly resigning from office. The new school senator is to be parliamentary group vice-chairman Bekeris.
Hamburg - Hamburg's Senator for Education, Ties Rabe (SPD), is resigning from office with immediate effect for health reasons. According to dpa information on Monday, the successor of the 63-year-old is to be the former deputy SPD parliamentary group chairwoman Ksenija Bekeris. In the early evening, Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD), Rabe and Bekeris want to make a statement. Previously, the "Hamburger Abendblatt" had reported.
With around 13 years of service, Rabe is Germany's longest-serving Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs, who is called the Senator for Education in the Hanseatic city. According to dpa information, he is resigning from his office exclusively for health reasons. He had to take it easy for several months, they said. In order to review his work, an appearance at the state press conference is planned for Tuesday.
Rabe actually also has an SPD citizenship mandate, which he will not accept for health reasons. However, this means that he will no longer be able to appear in the parliamentary session on Wednesday.
Rabe is a high school teacher for German, history and religion. He entered the Senate with the change of government in 2011 under Mayor Olaf Scholz (SPD).
His successor, Bekeris, is also deputy SPD state chairwoman. The 45-year-old vocational school teacher has been a member of the Hamburg parliament since 2008. Since 2011, she has been deputy chairwoman and social policy spokesperson of the parliamentary group. Like the mayor, she comes from the northern district association.
Tschentscher had last reshuffled the red-green Senate at the end of 2022 after the resignation of Senator for Economic Affairs Michael Westhagemann (independent) and Urban Development Senator Dorothee Stapelfeldt (SPD). The economic portfolio was taken over by the then Senator for Social Affairs, Melanie Leonhard, who in turn was succeeded by Melanie Schlotzhauer (both SPD). The new Senator for Urban Development was Karen Pein (SPD). Dpa