German education minister says she won’t resign after losing doctorate for plagiarism

BERLIN – Germany’s education minister says she will not resign after a university stripped her of her doctorate because of plagiarism, and vowed to fight the ruling.

Annette Schavan is the second minister in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Cabinet to lose a doctorate because of plagiarism. Former Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg resigned in 2011 after it emerged he copied large parts of his thesis.

Opposition politicians say Schavan is now in an untenable position as education minister and must step down.

Duesseldorf’s Heinrich Heine University voted Tuesday to remove Schavan’s doctorate after a thorough review of her 1980 thesis undertaken after an anonymous blogger raised plagiarism allegations.

Speaking on a trip to South Africa on Wednesday, Schavan said she “will not accept” the school’s decision and would take legal action against it.

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community? Create a free account to comment on stories, ask questions, and join meaningful discussions on our new site.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.
The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.