Raab stands by criticism: "Independence of the media is a valuable asset"
Following calls for her resignation due to a critical letter on SWR reporting, State Secretary Heike Raab (SPD) has commented on the accusations. "In terms of content, I still stand by my criticism today," she said on Wednesday, according to the State Chancellery in Mainz. However, she also emphasized: "The independence of the media is a valuable asset for me." The ban on political and economic influence on media content is a basic requirement for her and a value in democracy - something she has always campaigned for at federal and European level.
Raab had come under fire for a letter she sent to SWR state broadcasting director Ulla Fiebig on May 2. It refers to a program on public SWR television on April 11. In a broadcast with a political correspondent from SWR, the political future of SPD politician Roger Lewentz, who had resigned as Rhineland-Palatinate Interior Minister in connection with the Ahr Valley flood disaster, was also discussed.
Among other things, the correspondent made the following assessment: "This is probably unique in Germany that a state interior minister who has to take political responsibility for the many deaths caused by this terrible Ahr disaster remains state chairman of his party." According to media reports, Raab criticized this statement in particular in the letter. Lewentz was only re-elected chairman of the Rhineland-Palatinate SPD at the beginning of November. On Wednesday, the Rhineland-Palatinate CDU parliamentary group demanded Raab's resignation from his political posts and his withdrawal from all broadcasting committees.
- The CDU parliamentary group in Rhineland-Palatinate called for Raab's resignation from his political posts and withdrawal from all broadcasting committees, following her critical letter to SWR state broadcasting director Ulla Fiebig.
- Despite facing calls for her resignation, Government official Heike Raab (SPD) reiterated her support for the independence of the media and highlighted its significance as a basic requirement in democracy.
- In the midst of the controversy, various political parties, including the SPD and CDU, have weighed in on the issue, with each expressing their views regarding media independence and political criticism.
Source: www.dpa.com
