Storms had triggered a flood disaster in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia in mid-July. Should the NRW government have to support the affected municipalities more quickly and warn them earlier?
Düsseldorf – North Rhine-Westphalia’s Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) and his predecessor Armin Laschet (CDU) are due to testify in the state parliament’s committee of inquiry on the flood disaster next Wednesday.
The corresponding program for the hearing of witnesses is to be finally decided on Monday, as the German press agency learned from committee circles.
Wüst – at the time of the disaster still state transport minister – was put on the list of witnesses by the CDU and FDP for December 22nd. Both Wüst’s and Laschet’s questioning had previously been requested by the SPD and the Greens. The reasons given by the opposition parties to Laschet’s summons include: The then Prime Minister was “closely involved in disaster management and communication within the state government and the subordinate authorities”.
The committee of inquiry in the state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia started its work at the beginning of October. The opposition accuses the state government of having reacted too cautiously to the flood disaster. From the point of view of the opposition, the government should have given the affected municipalities quicker support and warned earlier. dpa
#Wüst #Laschet #testify #committee #flood