Economics Minister Habeck is not thinking of dismissing his State Secretary Graichen. He also tried to explain this decision at a committee hearing. But that’s not enough for the opposition.
Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck does not want to dismiss his State Secretary Patrick Graichen because of his misconduct in filling an important position. “I’ve decided that Patrick Graichen doesn’t have to go because of this mistake,” said the Green politician after his questioning at a joint meeting of the committees for economics, climate protection and energy.
“And the debate in the committee gives me, I think, a certain hope that the differentiation will also make this decision more understandable,” added Habeck. At the same time, the Greens politician said that disciplinary proceedings against civil servants would be examined against Graichen.
Closed-door hearing
Previously, Habeck, together with Graichen, had answered questions from the committee members behind closed doors – a public survey had not received a majority. The background is the selection of a new managing director for the federal German Energy Agency (dena), in which Graichen was involved – although in the end the choice fell on his best man Michael Schäfer. Both Graichen and Habeck now speak of a mistake. The procedure for selecting personnel is to be rolled out again.
Graichen’s statement published
The Economics Ministry later made public what Graichen himself said in his opening statement to the committee. Accordingly, Graichen apologized to the committee members again for his misconduct. He asserted that he had neither given Schäfer nor other candidates any information or provided any advantages. “Today it is clear to me that I should have withdrawn from the selection committee immediately because of Michael Schäfer’s candidacy.”
He also named other people to the personnel agency of the selection committee, some of whom also applied. “Of the eleven candidates that the recruitment agency finally selected and suggested to the selection committee, I already knew nine from previous professional experience – a result of the fact that I have been working professionally in the climate and energy scene for over 20 years.” , Graichen explained accordingly. “For me it was a gradation in terms of which of the applicants I knew and how well.”
Klöckner: “There are still many unanswered questions”
Even after the questioning of Graichen and Habeck, the opposition wants to investigate further. “Many questions remain unanswered,” said CDU economics expert Julia Klöckner. “The traffic light factions missed a great opportunity today to provide clarification and transparency.” They would also have voted against a public session. That’s why we want another survey. Habeck said he regretted that the meeting was not public.
CDU General Secretary Mario Czaja said at a current hour on the subject in the Bundestag that “Habeck’s green family clique” does not take people’s concerns seriously. With reference to the impending costs of the planned heating law, Czaja complained: “That’s not climate protection, that’s social indifference.”
Left faction leader Dietmar Bartsch demanded a quick dismissal of Graichen. “If Robert Habeck doesn’t manage to part with Graichen, the state secretary is no longer available, but the minister himself.”
Habeck said after the committee meeting that the questions had all been answered, and that you might have to add more here and there. In the past, however, the mistake in filling dena was mixed up with other topics: “So that there was a web of insinuations, untruths and insinuations.”
dena position to be re-advertised
The position of dena’s managing director is to be re-advertised in the coming days. This was announced by the Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Parliamentary Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Stefan Wenzel (Greens), on Tuesday evening in Berlin. This will also be publicly advertised in a few days and then everyone can apply again. According to Wenzel, the selection committee was set up more broadly, in terms of the number of people, but also in terms of anchoring it in the ministries.
He hopes that a decision will be made “very early” and that it will be known before the summer break who will manage dena together with Managing Director Kristina Haverkamp. Schäfer should have taken office on June 15.