The German Federal Ministry of Health is working to mitigate the fallout from a series of emails sent by spokesperson Hanno Kautz, which contained a threat directed at journalists participating in an off-the-record briefing. The incident, reported by T-Online, has drawn criticism from opposition parties and prompted a public apology from Kautz.
In a message circulated Friday evening, Kautz acknowledged the email as a “mistake” that was “incompatible with my experience as a journalist and as a spokesperson”. He added that the language chosen and the use of irony were “inappropriate” when considering crucial values like trust and press freedom.
The initial emails, sent earlier in the week, expressed anger over alleged breaches of confidentiality agreements. Kautz subsequently offered a form of reward – exclusive information not released through an agency report – for information leading to the identification of the person(s) believed to be responsible. He later attempted to explain this as “ironic”. The Federal Ministry of Health initially declined to issue a statement on the matter.
Reactions from the opposition within the Bundestag have been sharp. Ates Gürpinar of the Left party told T-Online that Kautz’s attempt to characterize the incident as irony demonstrated a “strange understanding of democracy” and indicated the ministry was “under significant strain.
Janosch Dahmen of the Green Party described the incident not as a mere misstep, but potentially as a “legally actionable interference with press freedom”. Dahmen added that Minister Nina Warken must answer questions regarding whether the comments were made in her name and that “clear consequences” are warranted if they were. He stated that Kautz had “definitely crossed a line”.
