US embassy cable - 03FRANKFURT1785

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 FRANKFURT 001785 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PINR, ECON, SCUL, GM 
SUBJECT: NEW HESSE CABINET: KOCH PICKS THREE NEW MINISTERS, 
ADDS NEW MINISTRY 
 
 
1. Summary: (SBU) After winning an absolute majority in 
February 2 state elections, Hesse Minister-President Roland 
Koch (Christian Democratic Union - CDU) announced three new 
ministers for his state cabinet on February 24.  Two of 
them, Stefan Gruettner (Minister of the State Chancellery) 
and Udo Corts (Minister for Culture, Higher Education and 
Science), were expected.  The new Economics Minister, Alois 
Rhiel, currently the Lord Mayor of Fulda, was a surprise. 
Jochen Riebel will no longer be chief of the State 
Chancellery.  Despite taxpayer criticism, Koch increased the 
number of ministries from nine to ten in response to 
internal party pressure to better balance the cabinet 
geographically.  Koch was also criticized by the CDU women's 
caucus and the media for not naming a third female minister. 
End Summary. 
 
Short Bios of New CDU Ministers 
------------------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) Alois Rhiel, the new Hesse Minister for Economics, 
Transport and Development is Lord Mayor of Fulda.  Before 
that, he was a manager for the Tegut grocery store chain. 
His previous position in government was as Commissioner for 
the town of Giessen in 1991.  Rhiel is a good contact of the 
Consulate and has supported various U.S.-German initiatives 
in Fulda.  The new minister is a moderate CDU politician, 
has an economics background, and is open to new ideas in 
environmental policy.  Rhiel is from eastern Hesse and 
claims to represent north Hesse in the cabinet.  By 
replacing former Economics Minister Posch (a true north 
Hessian) with Rhiel, Koch has increased the influence of 
eastern Hesse while preserving north Hesse's standing in the 
Cabinet, at least on paper.  Some in the north Hesse CDU 
complain they had hoped for a bigger reward for delivering a 
strong CDU election victory in a traditionally Social 
Democratic Party (SPD) region. 
 
3. (SBU) Udo Corts, Minister for Culture, Higher Education 
and Science, replaces outgoing minister Ruth Wagner (FDP). 
By winning his constituency in Frankfurt, Corts guaranteed 
himself a place in the Cabinet.  However, his nomination as 
Minister for Higher Education came as a surprise.  While 
acknowledged as a talented administrator, Corts has no 
background in the area of education policy.  Previously 
State Secretary in the Interior Ministry, Corts is seen as a 
potential successor to Koch as Minister-President of Hesse. 
Corts is also Chairman of the Frankfurt CDU and was 
Commissioner for Construction in Frankfurt before joining 
the Interior Ministry.  He is a Consulate International 
Visitor candidate this year. 
 
4. (SBU) Stefan Gruettner, Minister of the State 
Chancellery, is one of ConGen Frankfurt's best contacts in 
the Hesse CDU parliamentary group and a successful state 
parliamentary caucus manager.  His promotion to the State 
Chancellery is no surprise.  Gruettner is from the more 
conservative side of the party and his relations with the 
new parliamentary group chairman Franz Josef Jung are known 
to be rocky.  Had Gruettner stayed on as parliamentary 
caucus manager, Jung would have asked for his resignation. 
Gruettner will become Koch's "right hand" in this new 
position.  Gruettner was the CDU chairman of the CDU 
donation scandal investigation committee and did a good job 
helping restore respectability to the party.  Though 
competent in several policy areas, his background is mainly 
in social policy.  Gruettner is originally from Offenbach, 
and was Offenbach Commissioner for Social Affairs from 1991- 
1995. 
 
New State Secretary 
------------------- 
 
5. (SBU) Oda Scheidelhuber's appointment to State Secretary 
in the Interior Ministry, is another concession to the north 
Hesse region, where Koch received a great deal of voter 
support in recent elections.  Koch was criticized, however, 
for not promoting a woman to a minister position. 
Scheidelhuber is considered by some to be one of two token 
women in the cabinet.  As Regierungspraesidentin in Kassel, 
Scheidelhuber is known for making the north Hesse district 
administration more service-oriented. 
 
Other Changes in the Hesse Cabinet 
---------------------------------- 
 
6. (SBU) Jochen Riebel is now Minister for Federal 
(Bundesrat) and European Affairs and becomes the state's 
representative in Berlin, but has lost the State Chancellery 
to Gruettner (see above para 4).  (Note: By splitting these 
two functions, Koch has created a new ministry.  End Note.) 
Koch has stated publicly that this change is not an 
expression of any lack of confidence in the minister and 
that Riebel's portfolio will be strengthened according to 
the Bavarian model.  Many doubt this.  Riebel is seen as 
lackluster, overwhelmed by his work and without much of a 
political future.  His new role will be more representative 
than substantive. 
 
7. (U) Successors for Stefan Gruettner and Oda Scheidelhuber 
have not been announced yet.  The following positions remain 
unchanged (all are CDU): 
 
Karin Wolf, Minister for Education and new Deputy Minister 
President. 
 
Volker Bouffier, Interior Minister. 
Christean Wagner, Justice Minister. 
 
Wilhelm Dietzel, Agriculture and Environment Minister. 
 
Karlheinz Weimar, Finance Minister. 
 
Silke Lautenschlaeger, Social Minister. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
8. (SBU) Koch was apparently driven by internal party 
pressure to change the geographic balance of the cabinet. 
Frankfurt, Fulda and north Hesse felt under-represented in 
the previous Koch administration.  The overall number of 
ministries has been increased to ten, a move criticized by 
the League of Taxpayers.  The number of female ministers was 
reduced by one, despite the Cabinet's expansion and lobbying 
by the CDU women's caucus.  The new cabinet has more 
representatives from cities, Gruettner, Corts, Rhiel and 
Scheidelhuber.  Koch was also criticized previously for not 
having adequate representation of the more liberal wing of 
the Hesse CDU, now also corrected with Corts, Rhiel and 
Scheidelhuber.  Despite winning an absolute majority in 
February elections, Koch may have a difficult five years 
ahead of him.  Fifty-three of the new state parliament 
members won their constituencies directly.  Koch will thus 
have many "little kings" to deal with. 
 
9. (U) This message was coordinated with Embassy Berlin. 
 
BODDE