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Berlin culture minister resigns over irregular distribution of funds to fight antisemitism
TL;DR
Berlin's culture minister, Sarah Wedl-Wilson, resigned amid a scandal over the irregular distribution of €2.6m intended to combat antisemitism. Her departure follows the dismissal of a state secretary in her department and comes as the city's mayor prepares for re-election.
Key points
- Sarah Wedl-Wilson resigned over a funding scandal.
- €2.6m was irregularly distributed for antisemitism programs.
- Oliver Friederici was dismissed earlier in the week.
- Mayor Kai Wegner accepted her resignation.
- The culture department has a €110m annual budget.
Mentioned in this story
Sarah Wedl-WilsonOliver FriedericiKai WegnerBerlin regional government
Berlin’s top culture official, British-born Sarah Wedl-Wilson, has stood down over a funding scandal involving the the irregular distribution of €2.6m in public money for programmes to fight antisemitism.
As culture senator for the Berlin regional government, Wedl-Wilson had already sacked a state secretary in her department, Oliver Friederici, over the affair this week, but the opposition called him a mere scapegoat.
The city’s mayor, Kai Wegner, who is waging a tough fight for re-election in September, said on Friday that he accepted her resignation.
“Sarah Wedl-Wilson has assumed political and personal responsibility – for that she deserves respect,” said Wegner, who must now find a replacement to manage the department with a €110m annual budget for the remaining five months of his term.
Wedl-Wilson, who for weeks had resisted accepting blame in the affair, earlier on Friday declared she was leaving office “above all to prevent harm to the vital fight against rising antisemitism in Berlin”.
A state auditor’s investigation released this week found that the funds were “arbitrarily” and “clearly unlawfully” distributed to 13 projects on a list compiled by lawmakers from the co-ruling Christian Democrats (CDU), despite concerns raised by culture office staff that the groups had not been properly vetted.
Media reports said Friederici, whom Wedl-Wilson fired on Tuesday, was among the most outspoken whistleblowers.
Wedl-Wilson, who does not belong to a political party, signed off on the funding nevertheless, after a pressure campaign by the CDU representatives.
The public inquiry focused on recipients including the Zera Institute, an “interdisciplinary thinktank”, which received €390,000 in support from the public purse.
Soon after its founding in 2024, the director, Maral Salmassi, called the Jewish billionaire philanthropist George Soros, a frequent target of antisemitic propaganda, a “parasite” on social media, according to the news magazine Der Spiegel. She later apologised.
Last September, Salmassi compared the Guardian to the Nazi publication Der Stürmer over a report in which Israelis were asked about their opinions of the war in Gaza. Salmassi described her remarks as a “polemical provocation”.
Q&A
What led to Sarah Wedl-Wilson's resignation as Berlin's culture minister?
Sarah Wedl-Wilson resigned due to a scandal involving the irregular distribution of €2.6m in public funds for antisemitism programs.
Who was dismissed alongside Sarah Wedl-Wilson in the funding scandal?
Oliver Friederici, a state secretary in her department, was sacked earlier in the week over the funding irregularities.
What is the significance of the €2.6m funding scandal in Berlin?
The scandal raises concerns about the management of public funds aimed at combating rising antisemitism in Berlin.
How does Sarah Wedl-Wilson's resignation affect the Berlin government?
Her resignation leaves the Berlin culture department, which has a €110m annual budget, without a leader just five months before the mayor's re-election.
