A German politician, Stephan Weil, has announced his intention to step down as the Minister-President of the state of Lower Saxony and the leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in May. This decision was made known during an internal SPD meeting and a press conference is scheduled for the early afternoon. According to reports, Olaf Lies, the current Minister of Economics, is likely to succeed Weil in both positions.
Weil has been the Minister-President of Lower Saxony for over a decade, initially serving in a red-green coalition and later in a grand coalition with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). He has been known for his close ties to former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and has expressed support for Russia, which has been a topic of controversy.
Weil’s statement on the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was criticized, as he initially did not break with his previous Russia policy. He later acknowledged his earlier mistakes and claimed that he had not been part of a “Schröder network” within the SPD.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Weil has been a strong advocate for mandatory vaccination and has criticized those who refuse to get vaccinated. He has also supported stricter measures to combat the spread of the virus, including a “2G-plus” rule in care homes and nursing facilities.