Merkel recognizes the mismanagement of the dispute with the spymaster

BERLIN (Reuters) – Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday acknowledged public reluctance over a dispute over the future of the German spy master and said it would tackle more important issues for Germans.

The long-running dispute over the future of the head of the BfV intelligence agency threatened to unravel Merkel's six-month-old government.

This also frustrated the Germans worried about bigger problems, such as rising real estate prices, pension prospects and the scandal of diesel emissions.

"I have focused too much on the functionality and processes of the Ministry of the Interior and not enough on what makes people move, rightly, when they hear about someone's promotion. I very much regret that this has been allowed, "said Merkel.

"It's important that we solve people's problems now," she said.

The three parties in the coalition agreed on Tuesday to transfer the head of espionage Hans-Georg Maassen to the Interior Ministry on charges that he had entertained opinions of his own. far right. Maassen had questioned the authenticity of video footage showing radicals harassing migrants in the city of Chemnitz in the east of the country.

But their decision sparked public outrage because the high-level post they chose for Maassen came with a pay rise. Some members of the Social Democrats (SPD) – the junior partner of the Merkel coalition – had called on their party to leave the Alliance if the decision was not revoked.

The deal was held Friday when Andrea Nahles, leader of the SPD, said that it was a mistake. A survey released Thursday showed that 72 percent of voters had less confidence in the government after the clumsy compromise.

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said after a meeting between party leaders Sunday that he had agreed to work at the Ministry of the Interior in the future, but would not receive no salary increase.