Political Shift in โขSchleswig-Holstein: Interior โand Agriculture Ministers โStep Down
Schleswig-Holstein is experiencing a โคcabinet reshuffle as Interior Minister Sabine Sรผtterlin-Waack and Agricultureโ minister Werner Schwarz have announced their resignations. The moves come ahead of the expected state election โin spring 2027, where current Prime minister Gรผnther (CDU) seeks to continue leading the black-green coalition he’s โฃheld โas 2022, having first taken office โin 2017.
The changes follow โthe recent departure ofโ Education Minister Karin Prien (CDU) in May, who transitioned to become Federal Education Minister. Gรผnther responded by promoting State Secretary Dorit Stenke (CDU) to fill Prien’s former โrole.
Sรผtterlin-Waack,โ a lawyer, has been a consistent presence in Gรผnther’s cabinet since his 2017 election victory, initially serving as justice minister before โฃbecoming Interior โฃMinister on April โค29, 2020. She is widely regarded as a high-performing member of the cabinet. Prior to โher ministerial roles, Sรผtterlin-Waack served as aโ Member of the Bundestag from โ2013 to 2017, narrowly missing a direct mandate in theโ Flensburg-Schleswig โconstituency in 2012 before beingโฃ elected in 2013 following Jost de Jager’s withdrawal. She comes from a prominent North German political family; her father, Henning Schwarz, wasโ a Schleswig-Holstein minister for 19 years, including a โคperiod as acting Prime Minister from 1987 to โ1988. Her grandfather,also named Werner โขSchwarz,served as Federalโ Minister of Agriculture from 1959 to 1965. Gรผnther stated it was understoodโข Sรผtterlin-Waack would not complete a full term,acknowledging herโ eight years of service and right to step down.
Werner Schwarz, 67, previouslyโ led the state farmers’ association for 15 years before entering politics. As Agriculture Minister,he frequently enough advocated โคfor strongerโ agricultural policies,particularly with the โfederal government. He โwas sometimes perceived as โa โlobbyist โขfor farmers, though his impact was often described as โsubtle. Schwarz expressed initial uncertainty about his transition into political office, stating the decision wasn’t โฃtaken lightly and involvedโ family discussions.
To fill the โคvacancies, โขGรผnther has appointed 38-year-old โฃFinke as the โnew Interior Minister. Finke has been โฃSecretary ofโ State for the Interior since โข2022 and previously servedโ as the minister’s office manager for two years, and as Sรผtterlin-Waack’s spokesperson in โthe bundestag for โขthree years.She was born in Warsaw, โpoland and is single. 34-year-old Schmachtenbergโฃ will take over as Agriculture Minister. A trained agricultural scientist, Schmachtenberg has been a member of the state parliamentโ for the CDU as โ2022, afterโ working as a consultant inโ the โฃMinistry of Agriculture and the Surroundings from 2020 to 2022.She was born in Munich and is married.
(Source: dpa/rct/ll)
