Berlin’s culture senator, British-born Sarah Wedl-Wilson, has resigned following a scandal over the irregular distribution of €2.6m in public funds allocated to combat antisemitism. The resignation comes after a state auditor found that the money was paid to 13 groups that had not been fully vetted, with payments described as 'arbitrarily' and 'clearly unlawfully' approved.
Wedl-Wilson had already dismissed a state secretary, Oliver Friederici, earlier this week over the affair, but opposition politicians criticised this as a scapegoating move. Berlin’s mayor, Kai Wegner, who faces a tough re-election battle in September, accepted her resignation on Friday, stating she had assumed political and personal responsibility.
The controversy centres on a list of projects compiled by lawmakers from the co-ruling Christian Democrats (CDU). Despite concerns raised by culture office staff, Wedl-Wilson signed off on the funding after pressure from CDU representatives. Among the recipients was the Zera Institute, a thinktank that received €390,000, whose director made controversial remarks about billionaire George Soros and compared the Guardian to a Nazi publication.
Wedl-Wilson, who holds British and Austrian nationality and previously worked in classical music management, said she was resigning to prevent harm to the fight against rising antisemitism in Berlin. She thanked Mayor Wegner for trusting her as a political outsider. The opposition Green party candidate, Werner Graf, condemned the affair as causing 'immeasurable damage' to the fight against antisemitism and trust in democratic institutions.
