Asked about Trump firing, German minister says institutions must be independent

By Maria Martinez

State institutions should be independent and free from politics, German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said on Monday when asked about U.S. President Donald Trump's firing of the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"I consider this political approach to be wrong and believe that it is right for independent institutions to remain independent and for politics not to interfere," Klingbeil said.

Trump fired BLS head Erika McEntarfer on the heels of a market-shocking weak scorecard of the U.S. job market, accusing her without evidence of manipulating the figures.

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Ahead of a meeting with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Klingbeil said democracies are on the right path when they preserve the independence and strength of institutions.

"I can only tell you that my political style is not to launch such attacks on independent, neutral, and proven institutions, as is apparently happening here," Klingbeil said.

Klingbeil also said there was a lot to clarify about the European Union's trade deal with the United States, adding that the bloc had been too weak during the negotiations.