Former Minister Anne Spiegel Lands High-Paying Government Post in Hanover amidst Party Concerns Over Ex-politician Employment
Hanover, Germany – Former family Minister Anne Spiegel, who resigned from her post in April 2022 following scrutiny over her handling of teh Ahrtal flood disaster, is set to take a senior position within the Lower Saxony state government. Spiegel will become head of the social affairs department in Hanover, a role confirmed by Green party sources in Berlin and Mainz to the Frankfurter Allgemeine zeitung (FAZ). The position carries a five-figure monthly salary.
The appointment comes as the Green party acknowledges the difficulties former MPs and ministers face in securing employment, particularly in the private sector. An entrepreneur familiar with Green circles told the FAZ that former Bundestag members have been searching for jobs for months.
The process of Spiegel’s appointment involved both formal and informal channels.While the position was publicly advertised and Spiegel applied, regional president Steffen Krach (SPD) initially proposed her, with an agreement reached beforehand with coalition partners (SPD and Greens) and the opposition CDU that the department head position could be filled by Spiegel. Krach’s proposal is scheduled to be ratified by the regional assembly on November 11th.
Party officials are hesitant to discuss the details of the arrangement, citing legal concerns and a desire to avoid revealing internal mechanisms for accommodating party members, including those facing challenges. Sources indicate the Left party in Lower saxony played a role in facilitating Spiegel’s placement, despite her limited prior connection to the region.
Green party representatives maintain Spiegel’s experience as a former state and federal minister makes her well-suited for the role, and that past mistakes related to the Ahrtal flood should not preclude her from future service.
