Berlin The renewed self-image of the venerable Federal Ministry of Economics was already radiating, the newly minted Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) didn’t even have the floor. His predecessor Peter Altmaier reported at the handover on Wednesday that he had previously emailed his farewell letter. Altmaier explained that he wanted to save wood and protect the environment: “Dear Robert Habeck, we are moving with the times.”
Altmaier may move with the times, but Habeck wants to stand for a new era in the Federal Ministry of Economics. He made this clear at the handover. Habeck formulated nothing less than to turn the social market economy into a socio-ecological market economy as a goal for the next four years: “If we can do that, we will make history together.”
He made history with the reorganization of the ministry. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection has become the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The path to climate neutrality, Habeck is to manage it centrally from his ministry.
For this purpose, the climate department of the Ministry of the Environment is added to him, among other things. That will make it easier for Habeck in some departmental coordination, “because it just doesn’t have to take place,” commented predecessor Altmaier.
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This is also praised by the business lobby. Joachim Lang, General Manager of the Federal Association of German Industry (BDI), said: “Positioning climate protection in the economic department does justice to the BDI’s view that industry can and wants to be a key problem solver on the way to a sustainable economy.”
Habeck spoke of the “ambitious goals” he was facing. By 2030, CO2 emissions would have to be reduced by 65 percent. In order for this to succeed, the work in the ministry must follow an “idealistic pragmatism”. “The ideological debate should not become the signature of the next four years.”
“Competitiveness is the tradition of this house”
Habeck had brought a bracelet for Altmaier to say goodbye. This closed a circle for the now former and the new Minister of Economics. The two met for the first time in 2012. In Schleswig-Holstein they went on a mudflat hike and talked, among other things, about the garbage problem in the seas, which is also triggered by remnants from fishing nets.
And bracelets are now being made from the remnants of the fishing net. A recycled, colorful bracelet for an outgoing federal minister? Habeck joked, “It’s a bit hippie, I’ll admit that. But I also come from a hippie party. “
Habeck made it clear on several occasions that his future political style will not be shaped by hippie-like ideas and ideology of do-gooders without looking at the economy. In the ministry, he was well aware, contradictions would also come up against one another in the future. “Competitiveness is the tradition of this company, and it is a condition for the change to succeed,” said Habeck.
In order to combine economic success and climate protection, he wants to do it like with Skat. He wanted to “go over the villages” – a style of card game in which a player does not try to beat the opponent with all his trumps, but rather proceeds carefully.
No grace period for the new minister
He always wants to seek dialogue with those affected, environmental associations and business. In Habeck’s ministry, too, this should be the style that he wants to shape. He wanted to be a minister who was always ready to listen. “Disagree with me, tell me what you think. That’s how I will do it until you get annoyed by my questions. “
There are no easy tasks ahead of Habeck, and he will not be given a grace period. On the way to the ministry, he announced that there would be short-term decisions, for example to support the economy plagued by the corona pandemic and first measures to accelerate the expansion of renewable energies.
If Habeck had trouble getting to sleep because of the many tasks he had to do, he could grab Altmeier’s present – the predecessor had a book in his luggage for Habeck: “If you can’t sleep at night, take the book out.” And the new minister handed it over also a book for its predecessor. Despite the new self-image in the economics and now climate ministries, the gentlemen allowed themselves that much paper.
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