The Greens politician has a good reputation, but is now confronted with a massive conflict of interests.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin Right at the beginning of her term of office, the new maritime coordinator of the federal government has a real problem: a conflict of interests within her own ranks. Claudia Müller, a qualified business economist, employs a research assistant for the maritime industry in her Bundestag office.
In view of the new government task, he should actually move with the 40-year-old from Stralsund to the Federal Ministry of Economics led by Robert Habeck (Greens) – and give her a managerial role.
If it weren’t for his freelance sideline activity, which was already viewed critically by many during the opposition and now at the latest seems not at all harmless, the employee’s second job clearly contradicts the goals of the new federal government: Müller’s expert for the maritime industry represents the in Berlin Interests of European Mar GmbH, or Euromar for short, based in Hamburg.
The small company’s mission is to convince as many shipowners as possible to turn their backs on Germany and register their ships in the Madeira Special Economic Zone. “He is lobbying for the Portuguese flag,” the scene says.
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For many years the federal government has been fighting to ensure that merchant ships sail under the German flag. There were always subsidies for the shipowners, be it for wage tax or social security contributions.
The maritime coordinator held regular discussions with the industry at maritime conferences and was their exclusive contact with the government, even though the Chancellor herself was a regular guest. Angela Merkel, like Müller, comes from the West Pomeranian coast and has always won the constituency directly until her last federal election.
More ships are to sail under the German flag
The new government has also set itself a clear goal: “We want more ships to sail under the German flag,” says the coalition agreement between the SPD, Greens and FDP. More ships should call a German port their home again, so that the location can be strengthened, for example, when training sea personnel, recognize the legal system, for example with regard to working conditions – and much more. The visible commitment to this is the flag.
Despite all efforts, the numbers speak a different language so far: According to the Association of German Shipowners, the number of ships flying the German flag is falling, ten years ago it was “around 550 ships”. In the meantime, almost half of the German merchant fleet is sailing “under a European flag, especially that of Portugal”. Flagging is what experts call the trend that has long prevailed because shipping companies can save a lot of money with it.
At Euromar they are proud of what they have achieved since they registered the first ship on Madeira in November 2013: According to Euromar Managing Director Albrecht Gundermann, Madeira now has almost 700 ships, and by the end of 2024 there will be 1,000. The once great seafaring nation is consistently digitizing ship documents, he advertises. And so they help, for example, unbureaucratically to take security forces on board to ward off piracy. In Germany, on the other hand, a lot of things are still going analog, and federalism is also causing a confusion of competencies.
Müller is good – “but the combination is not good”
In any case, the shipowners prefer to use the Portuguese flag (308) in addition to the flag of Antigua and Barbuda (521) and Liberia (479). Only 290 ships sail under the German flag.
Fewer and fewer German shipowners are flying the local flag.
(Photo: dpa)
Born in Rostock, Müller, who has been a member of the Bundestag on the state list of the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Greens since 2017, is considered by all parties as “extremely factual and nice” and “100 percent reliable”. Her predecessor in office, Norbert Brackmann, has nothing but good things to say. The cooperation was “really fun,” reports the CDU politician when asked. She will continue to pursue the central issues of climate protection and digitization during his term of office alongside the future of the shipyards, so that nothing should turn negative for the maritime industry.
Brackmann did not want to comment on the conflict of interest. Elsewhere in political Berlin, however, it was said: “Ms. Müller is a good one – but the combination is not a good one.”
When asked from Müller’s office, the conflict of interest was recognized. One is “in discussion to solve the problem”. The employee will part with one of his tasks. “There is only one thing left,” it said.
The employee will probably give up his freelance work at Euromar to join the ministry. As coordinator, Ms. Müller will “of course continue to strengthen the German flag and also focus on strengthening European shipping in competition with other non-EU nations”.
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