German Minister President of Lower Saxony Stephan Weil speaks during the opening of Canada's booth at the Hannover Messe, which has Canada as this year's partner country for one of the world's largest industrial trade fairs, as both Canada and the European Union face new U.S. tariffs, in Hanover, Germany, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer
BERLIN (Reuters) -Veteran German Social Democrat (SPD) Stephan Weil plans to stand down as premier of the state of Lower Saxony after 12 years in office, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.
The state of Lower Saxony has a major influence on Volkswagen, which is headquartered in the state, due to a special law which effectively gives it a blocking minority. Lower Saxony owns 11.8% of its shares and has 20% voting rights.
Weil is also a member of the supervisory board at VW which is in the midst of slashing costs by cutting capacity and jobs.
Two sources told Reuters that local SPD will decide later in the day that they want Olaf Lies, Lower Saxony's economy minister, to succeed Weil.
Several media, including local broadcaster NDR, reported that Weil, 66, plans stand down in May. He had said when he was re-elected as premier in 2022 that this would be his last term.
The plans come as the SPD are in talks with Friedrich Merz's conservatives to form a coalition on the national level. Elections in the state are due in autumn 2027.
A battleground state between the SPD and conservatives in recent years, Weil currently governs with the Greens.
(Reporting by Andreas RinkeWriting by Madeline ChambersEditing by Friederike Heine)
