A planned statement by Nancy Faeser after a special session of the Interior Ministers’ Conference sparked controversy among the ministers. The attack on Matthias Ecke, a member of the European Parliament for the SPD in Dresden, by suspected far-right extremists has divided the conference. Faeser, the Federal Minister of the Interior, faced criticism for her handling of the situation, leading to tensions among the ministers. Her planned press conference and statement on the incident had to be withdrawn following the backlash from Unions-Innenministers.
According to reports from participants at the ongoing IMK session, Union Interior Ministers were “deeply upset” by Faeser’s actions. One CDU Interior Minister criticized Faeser for not actively contributing to the protection of politicians but instead giving impractical advice to the states. Faeser’s call for “increased visible police presence” at campaign stands and events was deemed irrelevant as violent attacks against politicians are rare, with incidents usually involving torn or damaged campaign posters. Due to the criticism surrounding her planned appearance, Faeser was forced to cancel the event, leading to a correction in the program.
Faeser had initially scheduled a press conference with Hamburg’s Interior Senator Andy Grote, the spokesperson for SPD ministers, in the festive Phoenix Hall in Hamburg’s City Hall. The plan was to discuss the results of the video conference of the 16 state interior ministers regarding the Matthias Ecke case. However, due to the backlash, Faeser had to cancel the event and make changes to the format. The new invitation, titled “!!! Attention format change !!!,” announced a joint statement after the special IMK. The press was now invited to an online press conference with Faeser, Grote, and the spokesperson for the Union Ministers of the Interior, Joachim Herrmann from Bavaria, with access codes provided.
The new invitation also clarified that the in-person event in Hamburg with Faeser and Grote had been canceled due to short notice. The Minister President of Brandenburg, Michael Stübgen, who was the IMK chairman, took over as the host of the online press conference. The timing of the ministers’ statements was adjusted to 19:30, and apologies were issued for the sudden changes. The Brandenburg Ministry of the Interior expressed regrets for any inconvenience caused by the rescheduling. The tension at the IMK stemmed from Faeser’s unilateral approach to the handling of the attack on Matthias Ecke, highlighting the discord among the Interior Ministers.
The incident has brought to light tensions and disagreements within the Innenministerkonferenz regarding the appropriate response to violent attacks against politicians. Faeser’s actions were criticized by Union Interior Ministers for not effectively contributing to the protection of politicians or providing practical solutions. The controversy surrounding Faeser’s planned statement and press conference led to a last-minute change in the program and the format of the event. Despite the internal disagreements, the ministers managed to deliver a joint statement on the matter during the online press conference hosted by the IMK chairman, Michael Stübgen, aimed at addressing the issues raised by the attack on Matthias Ecke in Dresden.
