Labor Minister Heil: Don’t be afraid of the noise

In the fight for central office regulation, Labor Minister Heil may feel like a winner. The SPD politician is one of the assets of the government, often also to the chagrin of the Union.

Friday evening at 5 pm On a set date in the SPD district of Braunschweig, the party district executive committee meets. On this day, due to the crown, through the video switch. The meeting is chaired by the Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs. Hubertus Heil remains district president here in his homeland, despite his career in Berlin.

Moritz Rödle
ARD capital study

For him, it is the end of a grueling work week. Three days earlier, he had spent many hours in the office of the prime ministers of the federal government. Heil has fought with the Chancellor and the Federal Minister of the Economy over the design of the regulation of the central office of Corona. In the end, you can feel like a winner. His experts in the ministry prepare the relevant ordinance that night. On Wednesday morning he checks the cabinet.

“I’m glad to see you”

Apparently, the following Friday, the Federal Labor Minister still has the impression of the difficult negotiations. Heil welcomes his comrades from Lower Saxony: “Nice to see you, MPK was quite exhausting.” That’s what someone who was there says.

But obviously there is enough kindness for now. As president, Heil is picking up the pace. Today an hour, but then you have to finish the meeting. Heil is here in a double role. On the one hand as president who wants to make sure the meeting ends quickly, on the other hand as a member of the Bundestag for the district. As such, you have to talk about your job.

If an extra round is needed

The item on the agenda is called “Report from Berlin”. And here the member of the Bundestag Heil sabotages the district president Heil. Your “report from Berlin” takes about 45 minutes. Of course, the requirement that the meeting only last one hour can no longer be met.

So is he, the Federal Minister of Labor, says the member of the SPD state parliament, Philipp Raulfs. Well, it is important to explain Berlin’s decisions here on the ground. It is not bad to do an extra lap to convince those who doubt.

Lazing around is boredom

As a member of the state parliament, Raulfs is always present when the Braunschweig SPD district executive committee meets. He already knows Heil from times when he was not yet a minister. I hate wasting time. This can also be seen in constituent meetings. “Then you expect your office to fill the pecking schedule.” When idle, he quickly gets bored.

Heil often surprises: the Union and its own people

Perhaps that is also one of the reasons why Heil has a reputation as a pain in the ass in the CDU / CSU parliamentary group. The minister is considered an asset in the SPD part of the government. He often surprises his own people and coalition partners with interviews and new projects. In recent months, the Federal Minister of Labor has repeatedly turned against the economic wing of the Union in particular. Basic pension, temporary work in the meat industry or FFP2 mask grants for Hartz IV recipients.

A trick for the right time

Even in the Union, people admit that Heil has the ability to always find the right moment for his proposals. “So he suggests it and we can hardly oppose it,” says one. That is smart. For the CDU and CSU, it would just be a matter of finding a compromise.

This evaluation also suggests respect for the work of salvation. You just want me to make suggestions that don’t go beyond the coalition agreement.

It is seen in a similar way in Heil’s own party, the SPD. Heil annoys the Union because he confronts them with things “that they also want, but perhaps not in the final analysis.” This is exactly why Heil is valued in the SPD.

From the Schröder school

At the party, he’s actually closer to business. Heil comes from the Schröder School in Lower Saxony. You are always clear about what you want and what you don’t. And through his vast experience, he knows exactly how to get things done politically. This also benefits you in your effect on the match. In his current position, the pragmatist can also serve the left-wing soul of the party. As Federal Minister of Labor, as a Social Democrat, he could do little wrong, according to the SPD. Basically every project brings improvements for employees. That they arrive.

Accessible or technocratic?

Only in the assessment of his person the SPD disagrees. Some say that salvation is incredibly accessible. He has a very nice way of dealing with people. You see it that way, especially in northern Germany.

For others, he communicates too technocratic. From the south comes the assessment that Heil has a fresh northern German habitus. This is a strange south of the Cologne – Leipzig line.