Thorsten Frei's No-Nonsense Approach: "I'm No Bureaucratic Castrato"
Foreign Affairs Commissioner Frei declared: "I've made the statement."
Step into the shoes of Thorsten Frei, the new head honcho at the Federal Chancellery, the minister with a special mission. He's all about keeping it real, playing the honest broker for the federal government. But dont mistake his pragmatism for timidity, for this CDU politico insists he's no bureaucratic castrato.
Frei, fresh from his role as an opposition politician, is well-acquainted with the Chancellor's expensive expansion project, which he once labeled as a vanity project. Yet here he is, leading the charge, unprepared to back down. "The time when one could have reasonably decided on a construction stop has long passed," Frei states firmly. He confirms, "Something is growing out of the ground there now."
The incoming black-red coalition, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, is waste no time in making their mark. Despite the early hiccups, Frei is optimistic. "Of course, this coalition will last for four years," he assures. The key to success, he believes, lies in their agreed flexibility in handling the coalition agreement. "If there are events that lead to a fundamental change, we will put the coalition agreement aside - and develop new solutions," Frei affirms.
A significant expansion of the Federal Chancellery under Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz led to costs soaring to around 800 million euros. Scholz, despite criticism from his finance minister, Christian Lindner, refused to halt the project.
In his new role, Frei vows to trim the fat in the Chancellery, setting a target for a two percent annual reduction in personnel. "That applies to all ministries, and of course it also applies to the Chancellery," he declares, adding, "I would not be credible politics if I only demanded unpleasant things from others."
Frei is also tackling the problem of commissioners plaguing the federal government. "I had to check whether some posts even exist - or if that's a joke," he admits, pledging to put an end to the commissioner phenomenon, not just for savings, but for more efficient state organization.
Sources: ntv.de, gut
- Federal Government
- German Bundestag
- Thorsten Frei
- Federal Chancellery
- Black-Red
- Thorsten Frei, now at the helm of the Federal Chancellery, is urging a change in the culture of excessive spending, setting a target for a 2% annual reduction in personnel across all ministries, including the Chancellery, to combat bureaucratic inefficiencies.
- In an effort to streamline the federal government, Thorsten Frei is tackling the issue of commissioners, pledging to put an end to the commissioner phenomenon, not just for savings, but for more efficient state organization.
- Despite earlier criticisms, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, along with the black-red coalition, is standing firm on the expansion project of the Federal Chancellery, with Thorsten Frei now leading the charge, unfazed by initial resistance.
- Amidst the early hiccups of the black-red coalition, Thorsten Frei remains optimistic, asserting that they will last for four years and are committed to flexible solutions in the event of fundamental changes, superseding the coalition agreement if necessary.
