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Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Manuela Schwesig (SPD) must seek a new interior minister. Lorenz Caffier resigns. The CDU politician draws his conclusions from buying a weapon from a trader associated with the right-wing extremist group “Nordkreuz”.
“I must realize that in this situation I no longer have the necessary authority to be able to exercise the office of interior minister with all my strength until September 2021,” Caffier said in a statement published in the afternoon. “Therefore I will resign as Minister of the Interior and of Europe at the end of today”.
“The purchase was not a mistake, but how I dealt with it”
Last week, the interior minister initially evasively responded to a reporter’s question whether he had privately purchased a weapon as a hunter from or through a former member of a right-wing extremist group, or whether he had completed shooting training. with him. On Friday, Caffier admitted the purchase in an interview with SPIEGEL.
Caffier bought a Glock from shooter Frank T. in 2018. At the time, members of the right-wing extremist group “Nordkreuz” had been training on his shooting range for a good two years. At the time of purchasing the weapon, Caffier said last week, he did not suspect any contact between the man and right-wing extremists.
“I bought a gun from someone I shouldn’t have received today. But: it wasn’t the acquisition that made a mistake, but my management. I apologize for that, “Caffier’s explanation says.
It hurts him deeply and is an extremely heavy burden “that the report suggests some proximity to right-wing circles”. Caffier again denied this accusation of being “simply absurd”.
Caffier presented his resignation as a step to protect his family, his environment and his employees. “The last few days have been an unbearable burden for everyone and I cannot answer to myself for continuing to put this burden on the people who have sacrificed so much for me.” He wanted damage from the government, the coalition and ultimately with it. get away from the earth.
Several times in the statement, Caffier criticized the coverage of the case. This was “completely uninhibited”. He called the media business “ruthless and unfortunately too often undifferentiated”.
Caffier has been Minister of the Interior since 2006. Since 2011 he has also been Deputy Prime Minister. He has been a member of the state parliament since 1990. He wanted to continue to exercise his mandate as a member of parliament, the statement said. “He will also take it seriously in the future and will support me on the pitch.” Caffier represents the Mecklenburg V Lake District constituency in parliament.
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