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NRW Minister Josefine Paul Resigns as Verena Schäffer Takes Over Following Solingen Scrutiny

The change follows disclosures about an unfiled SMS that undercut her account to investigators.

Overview

  • Minister-President Hendrik Wüst accepted Paul's resignation and appointed Green parliamentary leader Verena Schäffer the same morning, framing the move as a fresh start for the coalition.
  • Media and inquiry disclosures showed Paul asked about her ministry’s involvement by SMS the day after the 2024 attack, a message that was not included in records initially provided to lawmakers.
  • Telephone logs indicated she was unreachable for about 48 hours after the stabbings, and she later acknowledged that earlier public communication would have been better.
  • Opposition parties SPD and FDP accuse the ministry of withholding documents and demand full access to chat communications as the parliamentary investigation continues.
  • The attacker, Issa Al Hasan, a rejected Syrian asylum seeker whose planned Dublin transfer to Bulgaria failed in 2023, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a German court.