As Minister of Transport he was controversial. Now the CSU politician, Andreas Scheuer, is retiring early from the Bundestag.

Scheuer's departure: the former Transport Minister resigns from his mandate in the Bundestag Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa

SEDAN dpa | Former Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer has resigned from his mandate in the Bundestag and is therefore leaving parliament early. “As of today, April 1, 2024, I will resign from my mandate as a member of the German Bundestag,” the CSU politician said on Monday. Thank so many people for their support, loyalty and trust for so long. “It was an honor to be able to work for our country and my homeland.”

The Bundestag confirmed the measure. Scheuer had resigned from his mandate with effect from April 1, as reported on Monday in response to a question from dpa. It's not an April Fools' Day joke. Scheuer initially did not comment on his future plans.

The 49-year-old had already announced in January that he would no longer run in the next federal election. The CSU then stated that it had not taken this measure lightly. Previously, according to information from dpa, skeptical voices regarding Scheuer's candidacy had been repeatedly expressed in the CSU district association of Lower Bavaria.

The CSU politician had been a member of the Bundestag since 2002, where he represented the Passau electoral district. From 2009 to 2013 he was State Secretary at the Ministry of Transport and from December 2013 to 2018 he took over as Secretary General of the CSU together with the then party leader Horst Seehofer. Following the 2018 federal election, he became federal transport minister in Angela Merkel's (CDU) fourth cabinet.

As minister, Scheuer was harshly criticized for the failed automobile toll; Even within the CSU, many considered him a burden.