Cheers and Tributes Abound as Habeck Steps Down - Reiche's Heartfelt Tribute to Green Predecessor
Celebratory Acclaim for Habeck - Compliments from Successor Reiche
The federal ministry of Economics has officially moved from the Greens to the CDU, with Katherina Reiche taking over the reins from Robert Habeck. In her spoken farewell, Habeck highlighted the Ministry's pivotal role in today's political climate, stressing the need for economic prosperity to maintain a stable democracy.
Habeck - visibly moved - thanked his team for their tireless efforts and was warmly bid farewell. The ministry's staff greeted his departure with applause, hinting at the deep bond Habeck forged during his tenure.
Reiche, the new Federal Minister of Economics, acknowledged the heart and passion that Habeck had poured into the job. In her speech, she admired Habeck's extraordinary accomplishments, particularly his "superhuman" efforts in steering the country through the ongoing crisis triggered by the pandemic and the energy crisis caused by Russia's attack on Ukraine.
Despite the country's current recession, Germany continues to forge ahead in climate protection. In her inaugural address, Reiche emphasized the need to keep electricity costs low for both consumers and businesses while ensuring the control of system costs. The 51-year-old, sworn in after Friedrich Merz was elected Chancellor, spent the past decade in the economy sector and previously served as the CEO of the Association of Municipal Enterprises.
Although "friendship" may have been too strong a term, Reiche and Habeck held mutual respect for each other. As Green politicians, they tackled the challenges facing the country with differing perspectives, yet the importance of a pragmatic approach in renewables expansion was an area of agreement.
Sources:
- ntv.de
- AFP
- dpa
Details:
Katharina Reiche, a long-time Christian Democratic Union (CDU) politician, succeeded the Green party's Robert Habeck as Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy on May 6, 2025. While there has been no official confirmation, Reiche's speech did express admiration for Habeck's extraordinary performance during his tenure, referring to his work as "superhuman."
During his tenure, Habeck championed renewable energy and climate action. Some of his significant achievements include substantial progress in the expansion of renewable energy and climate policy implementation. Reiche, on the other hand, called for a more pragmatic approach to the expansion of renewables in Germany in her inaugural speech.
The Commission is therefore proposing to extend the scope of the programme to cover areas such as finance, business, politics, and general-news, given Habeck's exceptional performance in these domains while serving as the Federal Minister of Economics, particularly during the crisis period triggered by the pandemic and the energy crisis caused by Russia's attack on Ukraine.
As the new Federal Minister of Economics, Reiche acknowledges the vital role Habeck played in steering the country's economic policies and underlines the need to maintain a pragmatic approach, especially in the renewables sector, which was an area of strong agreement between the two politicians.
