Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) – North Rhine-Westphalia’s freshly re-elected Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) relies primarily on experienced companions for his new government team. Of the eight ministers appointed by the CDU, five have previously belonged to the state government and the new finance minister, Marcus Optendrenk, has been a CDU deputy for many years.
So Wüst had only two real news ready on Wednesday at the presentation of the twelve ministers from the CDU and Greens in the Düsseldorf State Chancellery. The top personnel for the Ministry of Education had been awaited with great excitement. Yvonne Gebauer (FDP) will be succeeded by the previous District President of Münster, Dorothee Feller (56).
The experienced administrative lawyer takes on a major challenge: in several legislative periods, dissatisfaction with school policy was considered a good reason for voting out of a state government.
Nevertheless, he didn’t have to persuade Feller, said Wüst. As head of the school working group during the coalition negotiations, she had had time to think about this question. “It didn’t take long.” The head of government praised: “She has proven that she can work professionally in large systems”. Even some teachers’ and parents’ associations stated this.
The second surprise: Silke Gorißen (CDU), the former Clever District Administrator, will become Minister of Agriculture and Consumer Protection. The 48-year-old “designated administration manager” comes from rural areas “and she enjoys the trust of rural areas,” said Wüst. In this department, that’s not just an empty phrase: after all, two female ministers have had to leave the field under strong public pressure since 2017 after affairs.
Wüst has not appointed prominent figures from federal politics to his cabinet. Among other things, ex-Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn and former Union faction leader Ralph Brinkhaus (both CDU) were in discussion.
Instead, many familiar faces remain on the CDU side in the new black-green cabinet, which Wüst praised to the skies: above all, Interior Minister Herbert Reul (69) as guarantor for internal security and the Minister for Labour, Health and Social Affairs, Karl-Josef Laumann ( 64), as “the social conscience of the German CDU”.
Nathanael Liminski remains head of the state chancellery – but now in the rank of minister. He will also be given the Europe, International and Media departments. Liminski has been managing the Düsseldorf government headquarters for five years, Wüst explained the rapid rise of the 36-year-old father of four children: “He’s simply the best for this job.”
The previous transport minister Ina Brandes (CDU) – according to Wüst “a real power woman” – will be the new culture and science minister. The 44-year-old infrastructure expert follows Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen (independent), who is highly regarded in cultural circles. The ministry was redesigned by Ina Scharrenbach (CDU): she is now Minister for Home, Municipal Affairs, Construction and Digitization.
The Greens had already named their cabinet members last week: their former state party leader Mona Neubaur is now Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate and Energy and Deputy Prime Minister. When the government team was sworn in in the state parliament, the unconventional 44-year-old forgot to raise her hand.
Minister for Transport, Environment and Nature Conservation is now the former Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Economics, Oliver Krischer. The leader of the Greens parliamentary group, Josefine Paul, has become Minister for Family, Children and Youth, Gender Equality, Integration and Refugees. The new Minister of Justice is Benjamin Limbach (52) – previously President of the Federal University for Public Administration.
“The team stands for this government,” said Wüst. “Strong personalities (…) from all parts of the country, from different professional backgrounds, younger and more experienced employees, familiar faces and new ones. They all have one thing in common: they are excited about the future.”
When the certificates of appointment were handed over afterwards, the head of cabinet warned latecomers with mock severity: “It’s 1 p.m. Get used to it, the cabinet meeting starts on time.”
© dpa-infocom, dpa:220628-99-835335/6
–
