Key roles away from the primary levels of politics: A brand new technology of state secretaries is more and more rising in Hesse’s ministries. Political Wiesbaden additionally interprets the repeated filling of such vacant high positions with younger specialists as a strategic method by CDU Prime Minister Boris Rhine in CDU-led ministries – in some instances this yr across the center of the electoral interval. The black-red state authorities started work in January 2024, and the following state election would usually be in 2028.
Rhine instructed the German Press Company Wiesbaden with that state secretaries are necessary managers and “second-tier pacesetters” who preserve the ministers’ backs free. They ensured that “political tasks attain the administration and are carried out. For these key duties, I depend on specialists with expertise, duty and the desire to form issues,” added Rhein, who has been in authorities along with the SPD for the reason that starting of 2024. As state secretaries, we’d like “individuals who can lead a division, inspire workers and act as driving forces within the administration to form the way forward for our nation,” defined the state father, who lives in Frankfurt.
State secretaries are a part of the administration of a ministry in Hesse. They signify their ministers of their every day work. You tackle management duties within the state administration in addition to in interplay with the federal authorities and the opposite states. State secretaries assist necessary political tasks and act as a hyperlink between state politics and administration.
The newly appointed Digital State Secretary Nicolas Sölter is an instance of a generational change. The physician of regulation is 37 years younger and, at the least in response to the cliché, is digitally oriented. He beforehand labored as a lawyer, studied in Heidelberg, Hamburg and Cambridge and taught at universities at house and overseas. Sölter’s 60-year-old predecessor as State Secretary, Stefan Sauer, was just lately positioned into non permanent retirement.
Profession at EU, federal and state stage
Until Kaesbach, who holds a doctorate in political science, has been State Secretary within the Ministry of Finance since 2025. The 41-year-old beforehand labored in federal ministries, for the European Fee and in a number one place in enterprise. His 56-year-old predecessor as State Secretary, Uwe Becker, turned President of the State Audit Workplace in 2025.
Deputy head of presidency and SPD economics minister Kaweh Mansoori even changed each state secretaries in his ministry throughout this election interval: Lamia Messari-Becker, a civil engineer with the title of professor, and ex-Opel works council member Umut Sönmez gave strategy to the present duo Ines Fröhlich and Johannes Loheide with a time delay.
From Dresden to Wiesbaden
These two politicians look again on appropriate expertise: Fröhlich (62) was beforehand State Secretary within the Saxon Ministry of Economics in Dresden – and Loheide (54), who has a doctorate in social sciences, was beforehand head of division within the Hessian Ministry of Economics.
Prime Minister and CDU state chief Rhein additionally appointed state secretaries with knowledgeable data to his rapid environment. Benedikt Kuhn, 40, head of the State Chancellery, managed the profitable election marketing campaign for the Hesse state CDU 2023. The political strategist had beforehand been the CSU’s chief of workers within the Bundestag in Berlin and, even earlier, an worker of a PR company. At this time, Kuhn additionally coordinates the work of the Hessian state authorities in Berlin and Brussels from the Wiesbaden State Chancellery.
The 48-year-old authorities spokesman Tobias Rösmann additionally has the rank of State Secretary. The previous editor of the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” is answerable for the communication of Prime Minister Rhein and coordinates the communication of the State government.
Lastly, the CDU-led Ministry of Well being has a state secretary, Sonja Optendrenk, who – as they are saying in political Wiesbaden – may make a profession leap to the federal stage. The 54-year-old economist, who holds a doctorate, is taken into account the chairwoman of the Federal Joint Committee. That is thought of a very powerful decision-making physique within the German healthcare system – primarily based in Berlin.
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