New minister - Dörte Schall to become minister in Rhineland-Palatinate
SPD politician Dörte Schall from North Rhine-Westfalen is set to become a new minister in the upcoming cabinet of Alexander Schweitzer in Rhineland-Palatinate. The 46-year-old from Bonn will follow Schweitzer as Minister for Social Affairs, Labor, Transformation and Digitalization. However, Schweitzer needs to be elected as the successor of Minister President Malu Dreyer (also SPD) on the coming Wednesday first.
Schweitzer and the new minister have known each other since 1996 from the Jusos, as Schweitzer stated during Schall's presentation in Mainz. He has followed her political career since then, and she has been his number one choice for his succession.
Schall was born in Ludwigshafen and attended school there. She studied law in Trier and became a labor secretary of the Industrial Union Mining, Chemistry, Energy (IG BCE) in the regions Neuwied and Düsseldorf after passing the referendary exam at the Higher Regional Court in Koblenz.
Schweitzer sees the change as a sign of confidence
After a half-evening-long conversation, it was clear that the native Palatinate woman would return to Rhineland-Palatinate, Schweitzer said. And that, even though her current job as deputy mayor in Mönchengladbach still goes until 2031, but the term in Rhineland-Palatinate only until 2026. This is a statement of confidence and for cooperation beyond 2026, Schweitzer emphasized. This also includes Schall - the current deputy SPD chairman in NRW - switching the state association.
With Schall's decision, the percentage of women in the state government remains unchanged after Dreyer's resignation. The other five ministers and three ministers will remain in office, and no cabinet reshuffle is planned, Schweitzer stated during his nomination.
Further changes on the level of state secretaries
However, a shuffle is noticeable on the level of state secretaries among Social Democrats. Schweitzer's state secretary and longtime companion Fedor Ruhose will become head of the State Chancellery. Ruhose's successor in the Ministry should be Denis Alt, Schweitzer announced. The 43-year-old has been a state secretary in the Ministry of Science and Health until now.
Alt should follow Innenstaatssekretärin and coordinator for the reconstruction in the Ahr Valley, Nicole Steingaß. Her successor will be Daniel Stich, who is currently Ministerial Director in the Ministry of Science and Health and the state vaccination coordinator during the pandemic. His planned transfer to the European Parliament was unexpectedly canceled, and he could not secure the candidacy on the SPD party convention.
DGB chairwoman Wingertszahn offers close cooperation
The chairwoman of DGB Rheinland-Palatinate/Saarland, Susanne Wingertszahn, offered the new minister close cooperation. She was pleased that with Schall, an experienced social politician would take over Schweitzer's position, who also knows the work of the trade unions from within. "With that, she certainly has the necessary sensitivity for the concerns of employees and the necessity of strong co-determination of employees in the transformation."
She expects Schall to pick up on some projects and "at the same time bravely tackle new topics," said the DGB chairwoman. For example, it is necessary to further develop the Transformation Agency and raise the tariff binding.
The President of the Association of Employers' Associations in the state, Johannes Heger, thanked Schweitzer for his time as Labor and Social Minister. His work "significantly contributed to the positive development of our country." He looks forward to soon getting to know Schall in person.
The AfD fraction leader Jan Bollinger criticized that the SPD apparently considers gender the most important criterion for the occupation of highest offices. "The personnel cover of the state SPD must be thin when it has to import its personnel from neighboring federal states."
- In the upcoming Rhineland-Palatinate cabinet, Dörte Schall from North Rhine-Westphalia will replace Alexander Schweitzer as the Minister for Social Affairs, Labor, Transformation, and Digitalization, after he is elected as the successor of Malu Dreyer.
- Schweitzer and Schall have a long history together, having known each other since 1996 from the Jusos in Bonn.
- Schall, who was born in Ludwigshafen, studied law in Trier and worked as a labor secretary for the Industrial Union Mining, Chemistry, Energy (IG BCE) in the regions Neuwied and Düsseldorf.
- The Ministry of Science and Health's current state secretary, Denis Alt, is set to replace Nicole Steingaß, who is the Innenstaatssekretärin and coordinator for the reconstruction in the Ahr Valley.
- The DGB chairwoman, Susanne Wingertszahn, has expressed her pleasure at Schall's appointment and praised her experience as a social politician.
- Johannes Heger, the President of the Association of Employers' Associations in the state, has thanked Schweitzer for his work as Labor and Social Minister and looks forward to meeting Schall.
- AfD fraction leader Jan Bollinger has criticized the SPD for seemingly prioritizing gender over experience in the appointment of high-level offices.
- Schall's appointment as a minister in Rhineland-Palatinate comes despite her current role as deputy mayor in Mönchengladbach, which extends until 2031, and the term in Rhineland-Palatinate ending in 2026.
- In his half-evening-long conversation with Schall, Schweitzer expressed confidence in her ability to cooperate beyond 2026.
- Fedor Ruhose, Schweitzer's state secretary and longtime companion, is set to become the head of the State Chancellery.
