Verena Hubertz: Minister in the Shitstorm receives unexpected support

When Verena Hubertz announces last week that she was pregnant, she probably has no idea what a variety of reactions would cause. In addition to isolated congratulations, such as Chancellor Merz, she was primarily hatred, ridicule and malice. For an incumbent minister, the expected parental leave is finally a no-go, according to the tenor. Now a ministerial colleague from Bavaria is taking the opportunity to jump to the Federal Minister of Construction and SPD politician.

Fabian Mehring is digital minister in Markus Söder’s cabinet. The fact that he, as a member of the Free Voters, takes part in Hubertz, may be considered rather unusual.

Hubertz announced her pregnancy on Friday on her Instagram channel. “With great anticipation: we get a baby!” Wrote the minister. On Wednesday evening she reported on the LinkedIn platform of hostility against her in connection with pregnancy. “Statements like: ‘The poor child, none of his mother will notice’, ‘mothers should be on the stove’, or ‘another reason to only choose AfD'” made them think, wrote Hubertz. “But these voices overlook something crucial: millions of women in Germany live exactly this balancing act every day.”

Hubertz was sworn in as Federal Minister in May; She now wants to take a baby break around the birth date. Until December, she wanted to continue her job as normal, but with small restrictions, the Rhineland-Palatinate politician told the “Trierische Volksfreund”.

Bavaria’s Digital Minister Mehring then contacted Instagram and spoke of an “antiquated debate” that is “embarrassing” for a modern country like Germany. In conversation with the star He now added. When asked about the reasons for the violence of the reactions, he “very much assumes that antiquated role models are behind it. Unfortunately, women in top positions still experience far too often that the compatibility of family and work is not believed – this does not matter in men at the same time.”

However, it is even more problematic that such antiquated ideas are a shame of all of us. “A country with our demography simply cannot afford to exclude half of the people from the labor market because they are female and could become mother. Neither completely nor partly or with regard to management tasks. On the back of Tradwives on the stove alone, we will not be able to carry the prosperity of our country into the future,” said Mehring.

He expressly does not want to emphasize party political differences in this debate. “I think: children’s wars may no longer mean careering in the 21st century. We should adapt the political framework on this requirement – for example with regard to sufficient care offers and more flexibility in everyday work and labor law,” adds Mehring.

He believes “that there is a cross -party consensus in my generation of top politicians.”

In any case, Hubertz does not apparently not be deterred by the malignant reactions to the announcement of her parental leave. In the coming spring das baby “, whether in the children’s room of the Bundestag or in the ministry,” said Hubertz in an interview with the “Trierische Volksfreund”.

Sources: ,, news agency AFP