In the discussion about the controversial personnel policy in the Federal Ministry of Economics, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) relies on the crisis management of Minister Robert Habeck (Greens).
“He said that decisions that went wrong and can be criticized must be corrected. That happened,” said the SPD politician at a press conference in Nairobi, Kenya, during his trip to Africa. “And I assume that everything else will also follow the rules that we have.”
Habeck’s State Secretary Patrick Graichen has come under pressure because he was involved in selecting the new managing director of the German Energy Agency (Dena), Michael Schäfer, even though he is his best man. Both Habeck and Graichen now see this as a mistake.
Eliminate the suspicion that “nepotism” is being used
Opposition leader Friedrich Merz had demanded that Scholz intervene in the case. “At some point the Chancellor will have to give his opinion on what he actually thinks of this activity in what is perhaps one of his most important ministries,” said the CDU leader. The federal government must dispel the suspicion “that they are only working with shady and nepotism.”
In the dispute over the Building Energy Act on heating replacement, Scholz was confident, despite all the criticism, that the planned amendment would pass the parliamentary process without any major changes. You might have one or two smaller questions. “But the big questions, I think, have been solved.”