Cultural State Minister Wolfram Weimer is being defended by moderator Jörg Thadeusz. Speaking to Spiegel, Thadeusz noted that public sentiment suggests people feel disrespected because Weimer refuses to allocate funds to certain obscure bookstores.
Weimer recently came under fire for altering the selection procedure for the German Publishers Award. Thadeusz, who is the moderator, writer, and now the new jury chairman, is stepping in to defend the cultural politician. Critics argue that Weimer insists on having the final decision-making power when choosing award-winning publishing houses, which they claim undermines the role of the jury. Thadeusz counters this, stating, “I think it is good when one person ultimately takes responsibility for the jury’s decision.”
The Publishers Award is a federal initiative, with part of its funding distributed through independent juries. However, the recent awarding of the German Bookstore Award also caused controversy because Weimer disregarded the recommendations of the designated jury. The non-partisan politician instead had three bookstores that were shortlisted for an award subjected to review by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, leading to their subsequent exclusion from the selection process. Thadeusz described this action as “clumsy” in his report to Spiegel. Nevertheless, he offered his support, adding that Weimer has publicly stated that his opposition in the cultural debate is primarily aimed at the far-right.
