Sarrazin will be hard to sack, judge warns

After Germany’s central bank stopped short of sacking board member Thilo Sarrazin over his incendiary remarks on race and immigration, a legal expert warned Tuesday it could be difficult to force him from his post at the Bundesbank. Joachim Vetter, chairman of the Federal Association of Labour Judges, told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung that however absurd Sarrazin’s remarks might be, they probably didn’t suffice legally to dismiss him.In a statement issued late Monday, the Bundesbank said it “distances itself categorically from discriminatory remarks” made by Sarrazin but remained vague on whether it would sack him.“The Executive Board of the Deutsche Bundesbank will immediately conduct a discussion with Dr. Sarrazin, give him a hearing and take prompt further action,” it said.The statement followed widespread outrage that erupted after Sarrazin told a weekend newspaper that races were distinguished by a particular gene such as “a Jewish gene.” The remark followed a string of controversial remarks he has made about Muslims and integration in Germany.Sarrazin stood by his views on Monday when he launched his book Deutschland schafft sich ab - Wie wir unser Land aufs Spiel setzen, or “Abolishing Germany - How we’re putting our country in jeopardy.”Judge Vetter said breaches of the Bundesbank’s internal code of conduct were not grounds alone to dismiss Sarrazin.“A requirement for (sacking) would be be serious misconduct relating to official business,” he said.It was doubtful whether private opinions unrelated to the office constituted such a breach, he said.
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