Doubts about Uwe Becker: suitability as President of the Court of Auditors is controversial

Doubts about Uwe Becker: suitability as President of the Court of Auditors is controversial

In Hesse the political landscape is simmering. On the horizon is the possible appointment of Uwe Becker (CDU) as the new President of the Hessian Court of Auditors in Darmstadt. Many eyes are on this personality because the opposition in the state parliament, including the Greens, FDP and AfD, express considerable doubts about Becker's suitability for the post. However, the concerns are less of a substantive nature, but are based primarily on formal aspects, as fr.de reports.

The legal requirements require the members of the Court of Auditors to be qualified for higher service, which usually requires a university degree. Becker, on the other hand, “only” completed training as a bank clerk. Despite this formal requirement, Becker brings a lot of experience with him: he was city treasurer for 14 years and mayor of Frankfurt for five years. The opposition members still raise questions about impartiality, especially since Becker is currently working as State Secretary for Finance and will continue to act as the state government's representative for Jewish life and anti-Semitism, which he is barred from doing by law since members of the Court of Auditors are not permitted to hold secondary positions.

Political tensions and legal concerns

The opposition has made its concerns clear in the budget committee and they are not only directed against Becker as a person, but also depend on the legal basis of his possible election. Hesse show reports that the critical voices were particularly loud from Matthias Wagner, the parliamentary group leader of the Greens. He demands a clear explanation from the state government about the existing conflicts of interest.

Wagner points out that, according to Section 12 of the Court of Audit Act, members of the Court of Audit are not allowed to participate in matters in which they themselves were involved. This arrangement raises questions about how Becker can unbiasedly audit the country's finances while being entrenched in long-serving political positions. The FDP and AfD share similar concerns and suggest that legal clarification of the situation is necessary.

The path to appointment

The decision on Becker's appointment as President of the Court of Auditors is expected to be made by the black-red coalition governing Hesse next week. An election in the state parliament is planned before the parliamentary summer break begins. Becker succeeds Walter Wallmann, whose term of office expires at the end of the month. Becker is considered a financial expert with extensive local political experience and is, last but not least, known for his work against anti-Semitism.

The challenges that await Becker in his new role are therefore clearly defined. It remains to be seen whether the legal hurdles can be overcome and his appointment goes smoothly. A spokesman for the Hessian Ministry of Finance has already confirmed that a cabinet template for the personnel proposal is being worked on in order to address possible problems, such as tagesschau.de reported.

Time is running out: only two weeks left until the election. The political waves in Hesse remain turbulent and it remains exciting to see what decisions are ultimately made. The voices from the opposition are loud, and whether the state government can withstand the pressure will become a crucial issue in Hessian politics.