Anti-Semitism scandal involving TU President: CDU insists on resignation - and refers to the Chancellery

Tagesspiegel Anti-Semitism scandal involving TU President: CDU insists on resignation - and refers to the Chancellery Story by Hannes Heine • 21 hours • 2 minutes reading time Geraldine Rauch wants to remain President of the Technical University of Berlin. The Union, on the other hand, refers to the "role model function" - and to the federal government. Geraldine Rauch, President of the Technical University of Berlin. The Christian Democrats do not want to close the Geraldine Rauch case. Even after Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) removed the President of the Technical University (TU) of Berlin from his Future Council, the CDU sees an urgent need for action. If Rauch is unsuitable for an advisory committee to the Chancellor, then she is hardly suitable as a representative of a university with 35,000 students, said Bundestag member Jan-Marco Luczak on Tuesday - and referred to the Chancellery. In response to the CDU politician's request, Sarah Ryglewski (SPD), Minister of State to the Federal Chancellor, wrote: "Anti-Semitism has no place at German universities. There must be no doubt about this attitude. All university leaders have a special responsibility and role model function in this regard." The response from the Chancellery is a barely concealed demand for resignation Jan-Marco Luczak (CDU) on a letter from the responsible Minister of State The federal government also apparently sees the seriousness of the situation, said Luczak in response to the letter: "The response from the Chancellery is a barely concealed demand for resignation. Even in the Future Council, where she is one among many, Ms. Rauch no longer has a place due to her dubious stance on anti-Semitism." This applies all the more at the head of a renowned university. Rauch lacks the necessary sensitivity and empathy, and is not suitable as a credible role model against anti-Semitism: "She is no longer acceptable as president." Berlin's CDU also wants to speak about this in the House of Representatives on Thursday. Rauch is under fire for having "liked" at least one anti-Semitic post on the X platform: It showed a photo of an apparently Islamist march in Turkey, in which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was shown with swastikas. Rauch declared that she would remain in office, although a narrow majority of the TU's Academic Senate had voted in favor of her resignation. The Chancellor's Future Council consists of scientists and entrepreneurs, and is to advise Scholz on key technologies, including ethical aspects. Rauch was appointed to the committee in 2022.