Angela Merkel conceded that the coalition's decision to remove ex-intelligence chief Hans-Georg Maassen from his post only to reward him with a higher-paid job, and effectively, a promotion to a post in the Interior Ministry "could not convince people."

In an unprecedented move, she admitted that she had been too focused on the "proceedings in the Interior Ministry" and had not paid enough attention to "what people are rightly preoccupied with when they hear about a promotion."

"I'm sorry that we allowed that to happen," she said at a news conference.

She stressed that the solution the coalition found for Maassen, who is now going to be a consultant to the Interior Ministry, was "appropriate" and was more likely to be seen as reasonable by the public "precisely because it is not a promotion."

DW political correspondent Simon Young said the admission "should help calm things down, as it is not very often that the chancellor comes out to make a public apology."

Hans-Georg Maassen: A controversial career Shadowy figure Hans-Georg Maassen, the former head of Germany's Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) — the domestic intelligence service — has often drawn fire for his remarks and actions. Calls for him to step down have been a constant throughout his long career.

Hans-Georg Maassen: A controversial career Trouble in the Interior Ministry Maassen gained notoriety in 2002 while working for the German Interior Ministry and arguing that Murat Kurnaz, a German resident held in the US prison at Guantanamo for five years before being released, could not return to Germany because his residency had lapsed. Herta Däubler-Gmelin, who was justice minister at the time, called Maassen's argument, "false, appalling and inhumane."

Hans-Georg Maassen: A controversial career Vows to restore trust In 2012, Maassen was tapped to lead Germany's top spy agency. He promised to restore faith in the BfV, which was embroiled in controversy over its entanglement in the right-wing extremist scene and his predecessor's decision to destroy files related to the neo-Nazi NSU murders.

Hans-Georg Maassen: A controversial career First calls for firing Maassen has been accused of having "a troubled relationship with basic democratic principles" for his pursuit of bloggers on grounds of treason and trying to suppress negative stories on the BfV. In January 2017, he told parliament reports the BfV had undercover agents in the Islamist scene connected to the Berlin Christmas market attack were false. Records showing it did became public in 2018.

Hans-Georg Maassen: A controversial career Sympathies for the right? Before Maassen made headlines by questioning the veracity of videos of right-wing protesters chasing foreigners through the streets of Chemnitz, he was under fire for advising right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany (AfD) on how to avoid scrutiny from his agency. He has also been accused of sharing confidential documents with the AfD before presenting them to the public.

Hans-Georg Maassen: A controversial career One faithful friend ... Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (r.) continued to support Maassen even after his controversial remarks over Chemnitz. Seehofer even took the ex-spy chief into the Interior Ministry in what was essentially a promotion. But that compromise has not been seen favorably by many in Germany, and failed to calm troubled waters within the ruling coalition over the affair.

Hans-Georg Maassen: A controversial career ... but not forever But following controversial remarks made by Maassen in a farewell speech, in which he attacked the ruling coalition for "weak" policies on refugees and security, even having friends in high places seems not to be enough. Maassen still has those who take his part, however: The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party says it would welcome him with open arms. Author: Jon Shelton



Back to work

Merkel also said the coalition needed to focus on "solving people's problems" as "we have been too preoccupied with ourselves in many areas."

"That has got to change," she added, citing Brexit, digitalization, the care sector and diesel regulations as some of the issues that need to be tackled.

Maassen made headlines earlier this month when he called into question the veracity of footage showing far-right sympathizers chasing people in the eastern city of Chemnitz. Shortly thereafter, he was criticized over reports that he had passed sensitive information about Islamic extremism to the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Despite this, his boss, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer stood behind him, marking the latest in a series of conflicts between the Bavarian conservative and Merkel.

ng/rt (dpa, AFP)

Every evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.