Apology for the Ahrtal flood: Expert: Schnieder wants to restore trust

The Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate wants to apologize for the Ahr Valley flood disaster Gordon Schnieder (CDU), according to an expert, restore trust in politics. “He wants to make it clear that, from his point of view, politics can be accused of failure here,” said political scientist Uwe Jun to the German Press Agency.

The “symbolic act of apology” should now create new trust. The apology also serves Schnieder “to differentiate himself from his predecessors,” said Jun in Trier. The former head of government Malu Dreyer and her successor Alexander Schweitzer (both SPD) did not apologize.

Five years later, “relatively late”

Those affected by the flood disaster in the Ahr Valley could rightly point out that such an apology comes “relatively late” after five years, said the professor. “And it is very late, and it has no material impact.”

The terrible consequences of the flood can no longer be repaired after five years. This must also be acknowledged. “In this respect, the impact of such a symbolic policy is limited.”

Nevertheless, shortly after taking office, the prime minister wanted to try to personally answer for what he called “state failure,” said Jun.

Sorry on the fifth anniversary of the flood

On the fifth anniversary of the flood disaster, Schnieder asked people to apologize for the state’s failure. At that time, the state did not keep its promise to protect its citizens, he said on Tuesday evening at a memorial event in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler.

“The state failed on this issue and on this night.” Fallibility meant that the Ahr Valley was not prepared for this catastrophe. Schnieder was a CDU member of the state parliament at the time of the flood disaster.

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