"No Political Castrato": Thorsten Frei, Chancellor's Chief of Staff, Holds His Ground
Foreign Affairs Commissioner, Mr. Frei, stated:
With a new season in the Federal Chancellery, Thorsten Frei steps into his role as a minister with a special mission. He aims to be an "impartial peacekeeper" within the German government. Yet, he's under no illusion about his political affiliation, declaring, "I'm a CDU federal minister, not a sterilized political lapdog."
Frei's rocky debut didn't deter him from his conviction. He backs the survival of the joint SPD-Union coalition, "Of course, this coalition will last for four years." There's been an agreement on staying flexible when tackling the coalition agreement. If any unforeseen events occur that necessitate a radical change, the coalition agreement will be side-lined, and fresh solutions will be forged.
As the dust settles, Frei insists on moving forward with the costly expansion of the Federal Chancellery, despite his earlier criticism of the project. "The time for a halt in construction is long past," he criticsed earlier. But something is taking shape on the site now. Frei plans to find an economical way to proceed with the construction plans.
In the past, the Federal Chancellery saw an influx of personnel under Chancellor Olaf Scholz, pushing construction costs to around 800 million euros. Despite Christian Lindner's objections, Scholz persisted with the expansion plans.
In his new job, Frei promises to cut staff at the Federal Chancellery by 2% each year, a provision included in the coalition agreement. "If I demanded that fire and brimstone from others, it wouldn't be politically credible," he said. The federal government has expanded over the years, with a few exceptions. "We must urgently reverse this trend," Frei emphasized.
The federal government is also dealing with the issue of superfluous commissioners. A decision on their reduction has already been made. Frei admitted to investigating the existence of some of these positions, "I had to check if they were real or a joke." Frei is aiming to put an end to the "commissioner craze," not just for financial reasons, but to streamline government structure.
- Political Affiliation: Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
- German Government: Federal Chancellery, SPD-Union Coalition, Thorsten Frei, Friedrich Merz
- Role: Minister with Special Tasks, Chancellor's Chief of Staff
- Thorsten Frei, Chancellor's Chief of Staff and a minister under the CDU political affiliation, asserts that he is not a "sterilized political lapdog," emphasizing his role as an impartial peacekeeper within the German government.
- Despite criticism and a rocky debut, Thorsten Frei continues to support the SPD-Union coalition, assuring that it will last for four years, and agrees to stay flexible when addressing unforeseen events that require a radical change.
- In the face of earlier criticism, Frei plans to find an economical solution to proceed with the costly expansion of the Federal Chancellery's construction, which was set in motion during the Chancellorship of Olaf Scholz.
- Frei vows to reduce staff at the Federal Chancellery by 2% each year as per the coalition agreement, and is investigating the existence of superfluous commissioners to streamline the government structure, not just for financial reasons but to strengthen its efficiency.
