Ataman is now to be elected in the first week of July, the exact date has not yet been set. The federal cabinet proposed the political scientist and publicist ataman last Wednesday as the new head of the anti-discrimination agency post that had been vacant for more than four years.
Immediately after it was announced, the proposal sparked some fierce criticism. Among other things, it is about controversial statements by Ataman from the past. For example, she caused discussions with a “Spiegel” column in 2020 when she defended the term “potato” for Germans without a migration background.
As the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” and the “Bild” newspaper report, the election was postponed because of criticism from the ranks of the FDP. FDP politician Linda Teuteberg had announced that she did not want to vote for Ataman. According to reports, the controversial ataman answered questions from the FDP parliamentary group in the Bundestag on Tuesday. The FDP now wants to discuss this survey again internally.
An FDP member who was not named speculated to the “Bild” newspaper: “Ataman will ultimately be elected, but with his fist in his pocket.” The personnel is too unimportant to risk new coalition noise in the traffic light.
Criticism of Ataman’s nomination also came from within the Union. The parliamentary manager of the CSU Bundestag group, Stefan Müller, called Ataman a “crass miscasting” in the “Bild” newspaper. “Again, a left-wing activist is being promoted to a taxpayer-funded government office.” So far, Ataman has primarily attracted attention “with verbal failures towards people without a migration background”.
Ataman had caused debates with a “Spiegel” column in 2020 when she defended the term “potato” for Germans without a migration background. Previously, she had described the home ministry of the then Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) as “above all symbolic politics for potential right-wing voters”. Seehofer was so angry that he stayed away from an integration meeting with Ataman in the Chancellery.
Reading tip: Madness! A woman who calls Germans “potatoes” is now said to be fighting racism
According to a media report, after the cutback in gas supplies to Germany, the federal government wants to announce the second stage of the gas emergency plan.
Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) has now declared that Germany will not agree to a ban on internal combustion engines. A few hours earlier, Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) said the opposite. The focus of the dispute is the use of synthetic substances, so-called e-fuels.
Before the meeting of health ministers on Wednesday and Thursday, four countries are calling for a concrete corona roadmap for autumn and winter, including the obligation to wear masks, contact restrictions and compulsory testing. Health Minister Lauterbach has also drawn up a seven-point plan.
