analysis
So far, Carsten Linnemann has been traded as the new Minister of Economy. After his cancellation, nobody now shows serious interest in the ministry. And there are good reasons.
In Berlin's Scharnhorststraße 34-37 there is one of the most powerful ministries in the country. Here the vice-chancellor, responsible for economy, climate protection, energy, space travel, computer games, heat pumps, start-ups and dozens of other topics, all of which are located here. A real “Super Ministry”, according to the ideas of the Greens, an office holder Robert Habeck.
A new Minister of Economics will move in here in a few weeks. But the personnel search is obviously difficult. According to the Union and SPD coalition agreement, the post is filled by the CDU. But the applicant field is more than thin.
CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann was traded for the job for a long time. But the top candidate has now taken away from the race. “It also has to fit, otherwise it doesn't make sense,” says Linnemann. Apparently it didn't suit him.
Spahn looks more careful
Other candidates are no longer available. The previous economic policy spokeswoman for the Union faction, Julia Klöckner, already has a new job as President of the Bundestag.
Even Jens Spahn now seems to hesitate. The CDU politician confidently announced a few months ago that he would like to take over a ministerial office again. It doesn't have to be the Ministry of Health again, said Spahn at the time. He would also find another task exciting.
It is not new that Spahn is interested in the Ministry of Economic Affairs. He likes to comment on economic policy, keeps speeches in the Bundestag or invites journalists into his office for economic policy discussions. “We need growth impulses for the economy again,” says Spahn. However, he no longer expresses himself when asked about his personal ministerial ambitions.
“Super Ministry” significantly reduced
The fact that hardly anyone in the CDU shows great interest is especially due to the new cut of the ministry. The former “super ministry” is now significantly reduced.
Important areas of responsibility will be done elsewhere in the future. In this way, climate protection is to be processed again in the Ministry of the Environment. The space travel goes to the redesigned Ministry of Research, Technology and Space. Some digital departments will also migrate to the newly created Ministry of Digitization and State Modernization. What remains is responsibility for economy and energy with a significantly lower budget than before.
“The CDU cut the fillet pieces out to the Ministry of Economic Affairs,” says Franziska Brantner. The Ministry knows the co-boss of the Greens well. She was there for years under Habeck.
An ungrateful task
The AfD also criticizes sharp criticism. “Nobody wants to obviously burn themselves in a trimmed ministry with 'further so',” says the economic policy spokesman Leif-Erik Holm. “No wonder that the Union seems to have a certain perplexity about the occupation of the office.”
One thing is certain: Due to the reduction, there are significantly fewer design options. At the same time, the economic situation remains difficult. Germany could continue to slide into the recession. Tens of thousands of jobs are on the brink.
So the new Minister of Economy is expecting an ungrateful task – apparently nobody is very desire for the currently.
