Berlin According to information from the Handelsblatt, the controversial Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Patrick Graichen will vacate his post. The “Spiegel” had first reported on Wednesday morning.
The top employee of Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (both Greens) was recently criticized for his participation in the selection for the chief post of the federal German Energy Agency (Dena).
Graichen 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. The procedure for personnel selection is now being rolled out again.
According to dpa information, Graichen is to be placed on temporary retirement. The background should be the results of further internal tests. Habeck has announced a statement for early noon.
There was also criticism of other personal ties: 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 stated that he wanted to stick with Graichen. “I’ve decided that Patrick Graichen doesn’t have to go because of this mistake,” said Habeck. However, a civil service examination is now being carried out, because the requirements of the Ministry of Economic Affairs have “recognisably been violated”.
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