Graichen resigns as State Secretary from the Ministry of Economic Affairs

Berlin Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck has confirmed the resignation of the controversial Secretary of State for Energy, Patrick Graichen. This was decided on Tuesday evening in a joint meeting, said the Green politician on Wednesday in Berlin. “It’s one mistake too many,” said Habeck. It is a far-reaching, difficult decision. “But it’s about protecting trust in the work of this House as an institution,” said the Vice Chancellor.

The state secretary should therefore be placed on temporary retirement. The background is the planned financial support for a project by the BUND regional association in Berlin.

Habeck said he had known about the process since last Tuesday. However, an initial cursory assessment was exculpatory – which changed with a more thorough examination.

In November 2022, Graichen approved a list of “project outlines”. One of them was about a project by the Berlin State Association of the Federal Environment and Nature Conservation Association (BUND) with a sum of almost 600,000 euros. Graichen’s sister was state chairman of the BUND in Berlin until May 2022. She is currently a member of the board of directors.

The project was classified as eligible for funding, so a final decision was only a matter of form. Money has not yet flowed, said Habeck. The process should not have been presented to Graichen, nor should he have signed it. It is a compliance violation, i.e. a violation of internal ethics rules.

In addition to the funding decision, there is a second process that Habeck believes is “in a gray area,” Habeck explained. For example, Felix Matthes was appointed to an expert commission on the energy transition by the Öko-Institut. “Here, too, the in-depth examination that has been available since yesterday has come to the conclusion that the appearance of partiality should have been better avoided,” said Habeck.

The top employee of Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (both Greens) had previously been criticized for his involvement in the selection for the top post of the federal German Energy Agency (Dena). Graichen had helped his best man Michael Schäfer to get the lucrative job without mentioning the personal relationship.

Both Graichen and Habeck later spoke of a mistake, but the minister initially stood in front of his state secretary.

Discussion about the successor is already underway

The decision about Graichen’s departure came at short notice. A senior official was surprised by the decision shortly before Habeck’s statement on Wednesday morning. As a possible successor to Graichen, some candidates are being traded, including Tobias Goldschmidt. The 41-year-old political scientist from Haselünne made a name for himself as Schleswig-Holstein’s energy transition minister. The Green politician is considered pragmatic and consensus-oriented.

New details about the Green State Secretary: Graichen vacates posts

In addition, the name Kerstin Andreae is mentioned. The Greens are now head of the Federal Association of Energy and Water Management (BDEW). However, your appeal could fail because Habeck doesn’t want to bring the next discussion into the house right away by getting someone from a trade association.

The name Klaus Müller is also mentioned. Habeck only made him President of the Federal Network Agency last year. According to the “Bild” newspaper, Habeck is already negotiating with Müller for the post of State Secretary.

Ingrid Nestle is also repeatedly mentioned. Nestle is a member of the Greens in the Bundestag and was State Secretary in the Schleswig-Holstein Energy Transition Ministry from 2012 to 2017 – under the then State Minister Robert Habeck. The industrial engineer enjoys an excellent reputation as an energy expert both inside and outside the party.

In addition to the best man affair, there was also further criticism of Graichen’s other personal relationships: Graichen’s sister, married to his colleague Michael Kellner, works like her brother at the Öko-Institut – a research institution that receives orders from the federal government. The ministry emphasized that Kellner and Graichen were not involved in tenders to which the Öko-Institut could have applied.

Last week, Habeck and Graichen answered questions from the members of the committees for economics, climate protection and energy behind closed doors.

Habeck then declared that he would stick with Graichen. “I’ve decided that Patrick Graichen doesn’t have to go because of this mistake,” said Habeck. But now Habeck is losing one of his most important comrades-in-arms in the energy transition.

Graichen had made a name for himself as head of the Agora Energiewende think tank, and Habeck then brought him in as State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs after taking office at the end of 2021. There, Graichen played a key role in the deep interventions in the energy supply system that had become necessary as a result of the Ukraine war.

In the past few weeks he had to save the Building Energy Act (GEG) in particular. That turned out to be one of his biggest challenges. The GEG draft from the Ministries of Economics and Building caused widespread criticism. There is talk of climate policy with a crowbar. Graichen’s boss Robert Habeck has to use a lot of energy to calm the situation. The Economics Minister is trying to downplay problems with generous funding commitments.

Chancellor Scholz: “I worked well with Graichen”

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) reacted cautiously to Graichen’s dismissal.

He was informed about this “today” and took note of it, said Scholz on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Council of Europe summit in the Icelandic capital Reykjavik when asked.

“I worked well together with Mr. Graichen himself and I assume that the Economics Minister will now continue his work with full force.” The Chancellor did not respond to further inquiries as to whether the step had come too late.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock paid tribute to Graichen’s services to the energy transition, but at the same time expressed understanding for the step. “Robert Habeck and his team got us through a difficult winter and massively accelerated the energy transition in Germany. Patrick Graichen can also take credit for that,” said Baerbock on Wednesday during her visit to the desert emirate of Qatar on the Persian Gulf.

Habeck’s decision was not easy. “But I understand them – also so that we can continue to devote our full energy to the energy transition.”

Graichen has also recently lost popularity in the government

The design, which is the subject of so much debate, bears Graichen’s handwriting: he made the electric heat pump the only option. Graichen has good arguments on his side. But its rigor, the planned end for new oil and gas heating systems, has recently caused frustration.

Graichen was “the thorn in the flesh” within the federal government, according to government circles. “Graichen is making a lot of enemies right now,” said a high-ranking SPD government member, even before the best man affair became public.

Graichen also angered the Greens. Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) had to accept that nature conservation was becoming less important in the Acceleration Act for the construction of wind turbines on land. Appropriate guidelines for practical implementation only today met with sharp criticism from the Nature Conservation Union.

The FDP welcomed Habeck’s decision. Mutual trust is a prerequisite for good cooperation, said Reinhard Houben, economic policy spokesman for the Liberals. “Since this was obviously no longer the case, the dismissal of State Secretary Graichen is logical,” said Houben.

CDU General Secretary Czaja: Graichen’s departure is overdue

CDU General Secretary Mario Czaja described Graichen’s departure from the Ministry of Economic Affairs as correct and overdue. Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) is finally taking action, Czaja told the German Press Agency on Wednesday.

“Because the allegations against his closest confidant weigh heavily. They raise further questions about the processes in the Ministry of Economic Affairs.” Complete transparency is now needed. Cliques and nepotism would have to be completely cleared up.

With a view to the planned switch to heating with renewable energies, Czaja warned that Habeck must now steer his politics in the right direction. “For sustainable climate protection without social indifference. And above all with the people and not against them. Only in this way can climate protection succeed.”

For Habeck, Graichen’s departure is a bitter admission after he had initially defended his state secretary against all demands for his resignation. And the next problem could be waiting.

Another State Secretary Habeck has come under criticism: Udo Philipp. Philipp is responsible for the federal government’s digital strategy, but according to a report by “Business Insider” is himself involved in several startups. Philipp does not reveal the names. However, it is “ensured that I will not be involved with possible decisions about the companies,” he says.

The case should be one of the key issues next Wednesday. On Tuesday, the Union had applied for Habeck and Graichen to be questioned again in the Bundestag before the climate and economic committees.

FDP politician Houben announced that he wanted to take a closer look at the Philipp case in the survey. After the question about Mr. Graichen has been clarified, a debate about State Secretary Philipp will follow next Wednesday. In terms of transparency and integrity, it is right that MPs have to state their additional income and investments in corporations and partnerships. “This obligation to provide information should be extended to top political officials such as state secretaries,” says Houben.

Apparently they want to stick to the date even after Graichen’s departure – possibly without the ousted State Secretary. Compared to last week’s survey, the SPD and FDP have agreed to a public meeting this time, according to information from coalition circles in the Handelsblatt.

With agency material

More: The economics minister’s crisis is becoming a crisis for the Greens and climate protection

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