Members of the CDU/CSU party are calling for the resignation of the government, due to suspicions of appointing individuals close to the leadership of the Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection.
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The personnel policy of the German Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection has recently been criticized due to allegations of nepotism and personal connections within the ministry.
The parliamentary group CDU/CSU plans to summon State Secretary for Economic Affairs Patrick Graichen to a meeting of the economic committee on Wednesday. The purpose is to clarify why so many employees have been hired in recent months without following official procedure.
CDU committee member Kuban told the newspaper, the main question is whether other appointments within the ministry have been made based on family relationships and personal friendships.
“State Secretary for Economic Affairs Graichen is being criticized because he participated in the selection of the new managing director of the German Energy Agency (DENA), Michael Schaefer, even though Schaefer was a witness at his wedding. On Friday, the DENA supervisory board decided to reopen the competition for the position of CEO of the federal company,” writes the news portal of the “Handelsblatt” newspaper.
Preserving the reputation of the ministry
Criticism also pertains to personal connections within the Ministry of Economy. Graichen’s sister, who is married to another state secretary in the Ministry of Economy, Michael Kellner, works at the Öko-Institut, a research institution that receives commissions from the federal government.
In the debate on the personnel policy of the Ministry of Economy, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group expects increasing pressure on Minister Robert Habeck. “I am confident that he will dismiss State Secretary Patrick Graichen if the allegations are true in order to preserve the reputation of the ministry,” said CDU politician, Tilman Kuban.