Farewell, Michael Theurer: Who's Next for the South West Liberals?
The FDP, Baden-Württemberg's liberal faction, bids adieu to its incumbent leader, Michael Theurer. In a shocking announcement, Theurer will relinquish his position as FDP's chief in the region from September 1st. Alongside his departure from the post, he'll also be stepping down from the FDP's national executive committee.
The economist-turned-politician, who serves as the Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Transport and heads the Rail Transport division, has been dropping hints about his departure for months. At 57, Theurer has bagged a coveted spot on the Bundesbank's board, necessitating neutrality in his new role. He announced his resignation from all responsibilities at the end of July.
Theurer, a native of Tübingen, spent years in public service. He served as mayor of Horb am Neckar from 1995 to 2009, was a member of the Baden-Württemberg state parliament from 2001 to 2009, and then represented the party in the European Parliament from 2017. Since 2017, he has been a member of the Bundestag. Theurer's successful tenure as the head of the South West Liberals, which began in 2013, ended with an impressive 78% of the vote in the last election.
With Theurer's exit, the FDP will now be fishing for a new leader in Baden-Württemberg. The identity of the lucky candidate remains a mystery at present. The leadership struggles within the FDP, intensified by their failure to secure seats in the German Parliament and Christian Lindner's retirement, may influence the selection process [1]. Contenders for the national leadership include Wolfgang Kubicki and Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, but no regional positions, like that of Baden-Württemberg, have been addressed [2][3].
As we bid farewell to Theurer, we eagerly await the announcement of his successor. Until then, the future of the FDP in Baden-Württemberg remains uncertain.
Relevant Reading:
[1] "FDP Ignores Lindner's Plea for Maximilian Krah's Return" (2022, June 20). Der Spiegel. https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/fdp-ignoриiert-lindners-aufforderung-zu-maximilian-krahs-zurückkehr-a-7c019edd-c20c-460e-87d5-0683b07e8c6d.
[2] Jenkins, M. (2022, May 13). "Christian Lindner's Plans to Reinforce the FDP's Power". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/13/christian-lindner-plans-to-reinforce-the-fdps-power
[3] Krieg, K. (2022, April 20). "FDP’s Thereurer Quits as South West Chairman". Politico. https://www.politico.eu/article/fdps-thereurer-quits-as-south-west-chairman/
