Hesse’s Economics Minister Kaweh Mansoori (SPD) has sharply criticised the now-deleted Instagramcomment by his fellow cabinet member Manfred Pentz (CDU). In a statement on 7 November 2026, Mansoori called the European Affairs Minister’s remark unacceptable and hurtful and demanded an unequivocal disavowal. The incident is straining relations within the state’s CDU–SPD government in Wiesbaden.
The incident was sparked by a row on social media in connection with reports of riots in Frankfurt. Pentz had previously used the term “migrant violence” and responded to criticism beneath an Instagram post with wording that appeared to imitate broken German. The choice of words was criticised as racist across party lines. Pentz deleted the comment and other posts, said according to media reports that this was not the standard he aspired to, and apologised. Several reports quote the exact wording of the deleted post as having the tenor of “Why you speak like that?”
Mansoori stressed that members of government were subject to especially high standards in their public conduct. Debates about safety and violence had to be conducted objectively; sweeping or mocking remarks about minorities damaged trust and the foundations for political dialogue. He explicitly distinguished between the necessary fight against crime and derogatory attributions that fuelled prejudice.
The incident has prompted further political reactions. The opposition and youth organisations have called for personnel consequences, while the CDU has spoken of an internal review. Minister-President Boris Rhein (CDU) had not commented in detail by the evening of 7 November. Observers note that the affair is testing both the way public officials communicate on social media and the coalition’s internal discipline.
For the CDU in Hesse the incident adds pressure to handle the matter transparently and swiftly just before budget discussions begin. Alongside criticism of the comment’s tone and content, the SPD has also voiced the expectation that the Ministry for European Affairs set clear standards for digital communication. Whatever happens next, the incident shows how quickly pointed responses on social networks can affect institutional credibility — and how important subsequent corrections and apologies are in limiting the damage. It remains unclear whether party or disciplinary measures will follow.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).