The former Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer has resigned from his position on the Passau city council. The decisive factor was a heated argument and sharp criticism of himself.
Former CSU top politician and Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer has resigned from his mandate in a dispute over the replacement of committee positions in the Passau city council. In a Facebook and Instagram post titled “Enough!” Scheuer wrote that he had informed Passau Mayor Jürgen Dupper (SPD) of this on Tuesday.
The trigger for Scheuer’s resignation is a dispute that apparently escalated in the Passau city council meeting on Monday: The CSU had to fill some committee positions, for example in the audit committee. Scheuer had declared himself ready for this: “Despite his new professional focus and international obligations,” he agreed when asked and put himself into the service of the cause, Scheuer wrote on Facebook and Instagram, but then had to experience a “set-up game.”
This was followed by an all-round attack by Scheuer against two city councilors (one Green, one non-affiliated) and against the media, which had reported on Scheuer’s planned new position and criticism of it. He complained that it was “dishonoring” and “prejudgemental”.
A heated debate reportedly broke out at the recent city council meeting. The two city councilors were annoyed that the former CSU Federal Transport Minister should now sit on the audit committee of the city of Passau. Their criticism mainly focused on the fact that Scheuer, of all people, who was largely responsible for the multi-million dollar toll debacle, should now examine the city’s finances. In addition, one of the city councilors in the debate is a member of the CSU, but not part of the parliamentary group.
Scheuer is clear about this in his online posts: “Anyone who provokes hatred and agitation, anyone who appears belligerent, divisive and diabolical is doing harm,” he wrote. He also emphasized that such behavior would drive away those who work voluntarily and voluntarily for the common good and democracy.
Scheuer was Federal Transport Minister in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet from 2018 to 2021. He resigned from his Bundestag mandate in April of this year.