Thomas Schäfer, finance minister for the German state of Hesse, was found dead on Saturday. According to DW, the 54-year-old politician was found on the rails of a high-speed train line, in the city of Hochheim, between Frankfurt and Mainz.
In a statement, Hesse state leader Volker Bouffier linked Thomas Schäfer’s death to the coronavirus pandemic that is plaguing the world. “His great concern was whether he would be able to meet the enormous expectations of the population, especially in terms of financial aid. It was clear to him that there was no way out. He was disappointed and so he had to leave us. And it shocked us, it shocked me. I receive this news with sadness and shock, ”said Volker Bouffier in a statement.
According to DW, Thomas Schäfer was Bouffier’s expected successor in Hesse’s leadership. In the last few days, the German State Finance Minister has appeared publicly several times, mainly to answer questions about financial support to the population during the pandemic. Hesse is the state of Germany’s financial capital, Frankfurt, and the region where the headquarters of Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank and the Central European Bank are located.
The German media indicates that it is not yet certain that Thomas Schäfer ended his own life. Still, the DW cites a source close to the investigation to say the politician will have left a letter. The body found on the train line had to be identified by Schäfer’s family.
Schäfer, a native of the city of Hemer, was part of CDU, Angela Merkel’s party. The 54-year-old politician had been politically active for over 20 years and had been responsible for Hesse’s finances for almost a decade. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Merkel’s replacement in the leadership of the CDU, said on Twitter that the party is “shocked”. “It affected us and left us sad and stunned,” wrote the German.
Die Nachricht vom plötzlichen Tod von Thomas Schäfer hat mich, hat some alle in der CDU schockiert. Serie trifft und und macht uns traurig und fassungslos. Jetzt sind alle Gedanken und Gebete bei seiner Familie.
– A. Kramp-Karrenbauer (@akk) March 28, 2020
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