Andrea Römmele comments on communication flaws of resigned Minister of Family Affairs

Following the resignation of German Minister for Family Affairs Anne Spiegel, Hertie School Professor of Communication in Politics and Civil Society Andrea Römmele comments on Spiegel’s ill-received communication strategy. "Stepping down on a Sunday evening due to reasons that were highly personal and family-related in nature was not wise," the expert on political communication said in an interview with broadcaster Deutschlandfunk on 11 April 2022. "Since there was no way around the resignation anyway, I would have recommended waiting until the next day to announce it."

Although Römmele welcomed the government’s commitment to transparency, Spiegel’s strategy clearly showed that “she wanted to stay in office while not acting as a capable political leader”, Römmele said on broadcaster BR. The expert was also featured with her expertise in Handelsblatt.

Over the last weeks, Spiegel has faced accusations that she prioritised her own image over management of the response to deadly floodings during her time as State Minister of Environment Affairs of Rhineland-Platinate.

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