Berlin State Secretary for Culture Friederici has to go – dispute over funding

The Berlin Senate has relieved the State Secretary for Social Cohesion in the Senate Department for Culture, Oliver Friederici, of his duties. The background is the controversial allocation of funding for projects against anti-Semitism. Alexander Straßmeir was appointed as his successor, as the Senate administration announced. The President of the State Office for Health and Social Affairs and former Secretary of State for Justice will be available from Friday.

Culture Senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson (non-party) justified the step with an auditor’s report on the allocation of funding, which is to be published this Friday and which she already has. The report gives sufficient reason to implement the authority’s recommendations immediately.

The aim is to review the processes involved in allocating funding in the area of ​​social cohesion and, if necessary, to reorganize them. Straßmeir will use all his strength to ensure that the processes involved in awarding these grants are designed to be legally secure, fair and goal-oriented in the future, taking into account the requirements of the Court of Auditors.

The Greens and the Left accuse the former Senator for Culture Joe Chialo (CDU) and his successor Wedl-Wilson of having awarded funding in 2025 according to unclear criteria and under pressure from the CDU parliamentary group. This involves around three million euros from a cultural administration budget for “projects of particular political importance”.

There is suspicion of undue influence, and violations of budget law cannot be ruled out. The CDU parliamentary group and Wedl-Wilson had rejected this, although the senator had also admitted deficits in the allocation of funding.