Bavarian Opposition Keeps Pressure High on Beate Merk 

Munich – Leaders of the SPD and the Green Party keep up the pressure on Bavaria’s Minister of Justice, Beate Merk, after Gustl Mollath was released from the mental hospital.

Mollath was released from Bayreuth Mental Hospital last week after ongoing public discussions concering his case. The former car tyre dealer was imprisoned seven years ago for having manipulated tyres of customers as well as for dubious corruption allegations against the Bayerische Landesbank, which eventually proved to be partly true. Supporters of Mollath have since lobbied for his release. Mollath’s case will now go to court again, and experts expect the trial to take more than two years. Minister of Justice Beate Merk initially opposed Mollath’s release, but now claims to have told local authorities to let Mollath go.

Politicians from the SPD and the Green Party have now asked Merk to resign immediately. The mayor of Munich, Christian Ude, told Münchner Merkur: “The release of Gustl Mollath proves that Germany, and Bavaria in particular, is a constitutional state on which people can rely on. However, Beate Merk should take responsibility for the case and resign now.”

It is quite likely Merk will no longer be part of the Bavarian government after the coming elections on September 15. Prime Minister Horst Seehofer has called Mollath “one of those topics I am determined to get out of the way as soon as possible” on various occasions. Furthermore, with the return of Federal Minister Ilse Aigner to Bavaria after the elections, experts expect heavy rotation within the Bavarian government to make sure there is space for Aigner.

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