sit Today: sample. Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) has directed the morning’s Cabinet meeting. As Vice Chancellor, he has represented Angela Merkel (CDU). She spends those time, which may not be called in government Jargon, holiday (“The Chancellor is always in the service”), in Share but a vacation-like trains has. So: Free for Scholz, he’s directing. The beautiful and, above all, valuable pictures. Head to the cinema for the Film “Scholz in the Chancellor League”. A man at his preferred place, so to speak. The super runs today for Scholz.
Ironically, in a Phase, however, the SPD settles clearly on him as a candidate for Chancellor, reached the Wirecard affair with the full force of the political Berlin. And the Scholz is still dangerous. The core question to him: Would he and his people can the debacle, prevent, or even need to? In a special meeting of the Finance Committee, the opposition politicians want to know about it in more detail today. This is less super for Scholz.
“… and the sitting in the Ministry of Finance”
The affair had a “political Dimension, and the sitting in the Ministry of Finance,” said the Committee Chairman, Katja Hessel (FDP) prior to the meeting in the afternoon. Probably a Committee of inquiry threatens to soon. But the Greens are hesitate whether to get involved.
The financial services provider Wirecard, now insolvent, back appears when you view it as a giant Potemkin village: to the front the great facade, and behind it a gaping Void. And an abyss, the extent of which is still not in sight.
The Dax-listed company had admitted in June that there was air bookings of about 1.9 billion euros. The Munich public Prosecutor’s office believes, in the meantime, amounted to “commercial Band” for years and years. Until now, the affair smells of a history of almost naive innocence, some disinterest and a healthy Dose of Pride. The mood in many Parts of the policy over the years: Germany has a state of the art Startup of the Top-class – great. The only question is, whether this Pride made them blind.
Probing questions to the address of Scholz
Quite simply so: Have perceived the main actors of their responsibility? The first critical questions go to the address Scholz‘.
Scholz has the legal and technical supervision by the German Federal financial Supervisory authority (BaFin). He was on 19. February 2019 shall inform the BaFin determined in the Case of the Wirecard “in all directions due to market manipulation”. The Minister had also been informally again and again to a current level, white FDP financial expert Florian Toncar. His conclusion was involved, with a view to the peaks of the Ministry of Finance and the Chancellery: “The more the political level, the less at ease you can enlighten the matter.” So here he sees the Parliament of the obligation. In this case, especially the Opposition part.
Undreamt-of danger from the side
if The FDP makes the first wound points in Scholz’s defense strategy. It was a “rumor” that the BaFin can no longer have. So raids with Fitting of be been of evidence, hard drives and the Like, it is legally possible. The BaFin can listen to as state supervision, unlike private accountants – even Wistleblower. And after all that’s happened, apparently. “Nowhere”, so Toncar, the financial Supervisory such a strong intervention as in the area of market manipulation.
Scholz from All of this is just not good at all. He appears to be the only of his party, the playing with the power-conscious leaders of the Union in a class. In surveys, Scholz, is behind the CSU-Chairman Markus Söder (40:26 percent). In a Chancellor-duel against each of the currently discussed candidate of the CDU but Scholz would be the front – in front of Friedrich Merz (37:20 per cent) and also in North Rhine-Westphalia Prime Minister, Armin Laschet (39:15). To this force also Scholz’s strongest over come against a champion, his critics in the own party, hardly.
“Forward, nothing to hide”
In the last few months that it was not the SPD itself, which has slowed the rise of their most respected politician. Now Olaf Scholz threatens to undreamt-of danger from the side.
Scholz goes on the Offensive. “There is only one course of action:, nothing to hide, active at the forefront of education and to ensure that all matters are resolved,” he said in the ZDF. And Scholz has been submitted to days ago first plans for a Reform of the BaFin.
Committee of inquiry – such as torture,
, The FDP is pushing that Left-wing and Green contact in August with them on a U-Committee and the specific job.
leaders hate committees of inquiry. Because real scandals, errors, abuses can be uncovered. Who has something to hide, is afraid of U-committees to the right. Here, evidence can be collected according to the same rules as in the case of a criminal trial.
to be worn But there is still a bad risk to take on-and also politicians, who have nothing to hide: Because of the many pages, lots of information together. The risk of getting caught up in contradictions and prompt, with great fanfare, the lie bumps are accused of, is great. The preparation for a U-Committee eats up tons of energy and time.
A Committee of inquiry, which receives in an election year 2021 really travel, comes top politicians, so in any case, extremely inconvenient.
view Altmaier directed
In today’s special session of the Finance Committee business was invited to Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU). He must adjust to uncomfortable questions about the failure of the auditor for Wirecard. EY (formerly Ernst & Young) had been acknowledged to be noted over the years, the Wirecard-annual reports with full Confirmation. The CDU politician has the right of supervision over the auditors. The technical supervision he has not, however.
dpa/Bernd Von Jutrczenka/dpa Finance Minister, Olaf Scholz, and the economy Minister, Peter Altmaier, had last pulled together.
the affair has the right stuff to drive the coalition, which had been found together in the Corona-crisis closely, apart, it is increasingly clear. The First Parliamentary Manager of the SPD group in the Bundestag, Carsten Schneider, said today: “Olaf Scholz has been at the forefront of the enlightenment.” As the Federal Minister of Finance, he will enlighten what is enlighten. Was asked but also the Federal Minister for economic Affairs. Also had to “face up to its responsibilities”. Since he is so already, the new coalition-dig.
“On the criminals focus”
the coalition is here divided, it could be for the Union and the SPD is still very uncomfortable.
The financial policy spokesperson of the parliamentary group Antje Tillmanns (CDU) provides for the development of the last few days anyway, with concern. “It will be taken with a vehemence on the actors, which I find inappropriate.” This applies both to the allegations against BaFin’s President, Felix Hufeld, as well as attacks against the Federal government. “It would be nice if we could focus again on the criminals who have caused the damage actually is.”
Three former Wirecard Manager sitting now in custody, among them the former CEO Markus Braun. Chief financial officer Jan Marsalek, a figure whose connection to the secret service Milieu of wild speculation, is on the run. As the most important venue of political thrillers, a swamp appears in these days:.
According to the increasing Numbers in Germany, Söder send “last call to all the people Celebrating in a” PCP To increasing Numbers in Germany, sends Söder “last appeal to all the Partying”
