Merkel coalition under renewed pressure over U-turn on spy chief row

Angela Merkel’s government is to reconsider a controversial promotion for Germany’s outspoken domestic intelligence chief,  further threatening the unity of the chancellor's fragile coalition.

Hans-Georg Maassen was removed as head of the BfV intelligence service this week amid concerns he was interfering in politics after he publicly contradicted the chancellor over far-Right protests in the city of Chemnitz.

Mr Maassen’s fate has already divided Mrs Merkel’s coalition partners. The centre-Left Social Democrats (SPD) demanded his dismissal while Horst Seehofer, the interior minister and leader of the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), backed the intelligence chief.

Under a compromise deal designed to keep all sides happy, Mr Maassen was due to move to a more senior position at the interior ministry. But in a sign of growing tensions within the coalition, the SPD demanded a rethink on Friday amid growing public opposition.

“The consistently negative reactions from the population show that we were wrong, and that we lost trust instead of restoring it, which should give us cause to pause and reconsider,” Andrea Nahles, the SPD leader, wrote in a letter to her coalition partners.

“It is obviously incompatible with many people’s sense of justice that Mr Maassen should be dismissed for his work but at the same time promoted.”

Mrs Merkel and Mr Seehofer both indicated they were ready to reconsider the appointment. “The chancellor thinks it’s right and appropriate to re-evaluate the issues and to find a mutually sustainable solution,” a spokesman for Mrs Merkel said.

“I think renewed discussions make sense if a common solution is possible, which is what we’re now considering,” Mr Seehofer said.

Ms Nahles’ call for a rethink was a major U-turn by the SPD leader, who had earlier defended the deal to promote Mr Maassen, and came as she faced mounting pressure from within her party.

Ms Nahles was facing an incipient rebellion against her leadership. A prominent SPD mayor has already resigned from the party over the deal, and there are growing calls for it to withdraw from the coalition unless it gets its way over Mr Maassen.

Many in the SPD were incensed that under the compromise deal a senior civil servant who had done no wrong would lose his job at the interior ministry to make way for Mr Maassen.

There is anger in the party at the relationship between the intelligence chief and the nationalist Alternative for Germany party (AfD) — he held several meetings with AfD leaders, and has denied allegations he passed them confidential information.

But senior SPD figures are also losing patience with Mr Seehofer, who has attempted to make government policy unilaterally and forced a showdown with Mrs Merkel over migrant policy at the start of the summer.

New talks over Mr Maassen’s fate are not expected until next week.

There was further controversy after a regional intelligence officer spoke out in praise of the far-Right. Hendrik Seidel, an official in Saxony's regional LfV intelligence service, gave a television interview in which he made clear his support for the white supremacist Identitarian movement and the Pegida anti-Muslim movement. Mr Seidel has previously caused controversy because he also works for the AfD.