Saxony's Regional Development Minister Thomas Schmidt (CDU) will not take up any office in the new state government. He made the decision months ago, he said in a statement. The step was not easy for him, especially because he greatly appreciated the team in his immediate environment. "Together, we have built up this new ministry, achieved a great deal and enjoy a high reputation in the country." The "Freie Presse" newspaper first reported this.
Schmidt has been a member of the Saxon state government since 2014, initially as Minister for the Environment and Agriculture and, from 2019, for Regional Development. As before, he will continue to represent his constituency in Central Saxony as a member of the state parliament, where he won as a direct candidate in September.
In addition, Schmidt will continue to serve as Chairman of the Automotive Regions Group on the EU Committee of the Regions. "This is hugely important for Saxony and will remain my main focus," he said.
According to the coalition agreement reached between the CDU and SPD on Wednesday, Schmidt's current Ministry for Regional Development will be expanded to include the area of infrastructure. Overall, the number of ministers in the new government is to fall from eleven to ten. According to Schmidt, it was very important to him to retain his house. "I am very pleased that this has been achieved."
Copyright 2024, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved
