Germany’s economy minister fires close aide in nepotism scandal

Germany’s Economy Minister Robert Habeck has fired a close aide over a nepotism scandal that has hurt his Green Party, undermined his climate agenda and badly damaged himself with the German public. Have delivered

The departure of Patrik Gretchen as a state secretary in the economy ministry is a blow to Haibeck, one of Germany’s most prominent politicians, who has long been seen as a potential chancellor. Haibeck had relied heavily on Gretchen to drive the coalition government’s green energy revolution.

Habeck said he was forced to take action after an internal investigation found Gretchen had violated his compliance procedures.

He approved a decision late last year to give government funding to Bund Berlin, an environmental organization where his sister served as executive director.

“It’s one mistake too many,” Habeck told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday. He said he was compelled to act “to protect the trust in the work of this ministry as an institution”.

The revelation about the Bund Berlin grant comes on top of a scandal involving Gretchen’s role at the German energy agency Dena. He participated in the selection process for the new head of Dena, but failed to disclose that Michael Schaefer, chosen for the job in March, was a close friend and best man at his wedding.

After Gretchen admitted her mistake, Schaefer stepped aside and restarted the selection process. But that failed to end the controversy, with the opposition Christian Democrats demanding Hebeck to sack Gretchen.

Lawmakers also raised questions about the dense network of personal and family ties linking Habach’s ministry to climate think-tanks.

Michael Kellner, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy and another close ally of Habach, is married to Gretchen’s sister Verena, who works for the Oeko-Institut, an independent environmental research center that receives contracts from the Ministry of Economy. . Gretchen’s brother Jakob also works at the Oko-Institute.

Even before the nepotism scandal, Habach was under political pressure over a controversial law sponsored by his ministry that aimed to phase out gas boilers and replace them with heat pumps. Critics say it places too much of a financial burden on homeowners.

Habeck initially stood by Gretchen. Both were grilled by two Bundestag committees last week over the Dena affair, and Habeck later said he “decided not to let Patrik Gretchen be blamed for this mistake”.

But he changed his mind after an internal investigation at the Economy Ministry revealed compliance issues involving Gretchen.

Habeck said this is related to a demand for applications as part of Germany’s national climate protection initiative. In November last year, Gretchen, he said, approved a list of three projects for funding, one from the Berlin branch of the Bund, which had applied for around €600,000.

Habeck said that no money had been allocated to the organization, but that Gretchen had designated the project as “eligible for funding”, implying that the decision to award the grant was a “mere formality”.

Gretchen’s sister was a member of the executive board of the Bund Berlin, and was chair until May 2022. This meant that Gretchen’s decision to approve the project violated “(the ministry’s) code of compliance”, he said.

He added, “Even the slightest semblance of bias must be avoided, and that (principle) was not observed here.”

Habeck said that he defended Gretchen in the Dena case, but in doing so, he had to make sure that “there are no cracks in the compliance firewall that was built because of these family ties. Those cracks are now visible.” Are engaged”.

He said that Gretchen had made herself “too vulnerable to be able to do her job effectively”.

Habeck thanked his secretary of state for his service, saying he had “achieved a lot for his country”, saving Germany from gas shortages last year and helping to avert an economic crisis.

Germany’s Economy Minister Robert Habeck has fired a close aide over a nepotism scandal that has hurt his Green Party, undermined his climate agenda and badly damaged himself with the German public. Have delivered

The departure of Patrik Gretchen as a state secretary in the economy ministry is a blow to Haibeck, one of Germany’s most prominent politicians, who has long been seen as a potential chancellor. Haibeck had relied heavily on Gretchen to drive the coalition government’s green energy revolution.

Habeck said he was forced to take action after an internal investigation found Gretchen had violated his compliance procedures.

He approved a decision late last year to give government funding to Bund Berlin, an environmental organization where his sister served as executive director.

“It’s one mistake too many,” Habeck told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday. He said he was compelled to act “to protect the trust in the work of this ministry as an institution”.

The revelation about the Bund Berlin grant comes on top of a scandal involving Gretchen’s role at the German energy agency Dena. He participated in the selection process for the new head of Dena, but failed to disclose that Michael Schaefer, chosen for the job in March, was a close friend and best man at his wedding.

After Gretchen admitted her mistake, Schaefer stepped aside and restarted the selection process. But that failed to end the controversy, with the opposition Christian Democrats demanding Hebeck to sack Gretchen.

Lawmakers also raised questions about the dense network of personal and family ties linking Habach’s ministry to climate think-tanks.

Michael Kellner, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy and another close ally of Habach, is married to Gretchen’s sister Verena, who works for the Oeko-Institut, an independent environmental research center that receives contracts from the Ministry of Economy. . Gretchen’s brother Jakob also works at the Oko-Institute.

Even before the nepotism scandal, Habach was under political pressure over a controversial law sponsored by his ministry that aimed to phase out gas boilers and replace them with heat pumps. Critics say it places too much of a financial burden on homeowners.

Habeck initially stood by Gretchen. Both were grilled by two Bundestag committees last week over the Dena affair, and Habeck later said he “decided not to let Patrik Gretchen be blamed for this mistake”.

But he changed his mind after an internal investigation at the Economy Ministry revealed compliance issues involving Gretchen.

Habeck said this is related to a demand for applications as part of Germany’s national climate protection initiative. In November last year, Gretchen, he said, approved a list of three projects for funding, one from the Berlin branch of the Bund, which had applied for around €600,000.

Habeck said that no money had been allocated to the organization, but that Gretchen had designated the project as “eligible for funding”, implying that the decision to award the grant was a “mere formality”.

Gretchen’s sister was a member of the executive board of the Bund Berlin, and was chair until May 2022. This meant that Gretchen’s decision to approve the project violated “(the ministry’s) code of compliance”, he said.

He added, “Even the slightest semblance of bias must be avoided, and that (principle) was not observed here.”

Habeck said that he defended Gretchen in the Dena case, but in doing so, he had to make sure that “there are no cracks in the compliance firewall that was built because of these family ties. Those cracks are now visible.” Are engaged”.

He said that Gretchen had made herself “too vulnerable to be able to do her job effectively”.

Habeck thanked his secretary of state for his service, saying he had “achieved a lot for his country”, saving Germany from gas shortages last year and helping to avert an economic crisis.