Nine months after the exit: Untersteller advises MVV

Created: 01/11/2022Updated: 01/11/2022, 7:51 PM

Franz Untersteller, then Environment Minister, speaks during a government press conference.

© Sebastian Gollnow / dpa / archive

Until recently, he was minister for the energy industry in the southwest, but now he advises one of the largest suppliers in Germany: Former Green Environment Minister Franz Untersteller (64) will advise the Mannheim energy supplier MVV about nine months after leaving politics.

MVV announced on Tuesday that it would promote the exchange between the company and municipalities in reducing CO2 emissions and finding solutions for environmentally friendly cities.

Mannheim / Stuttgart - The Green politician was head of the environmental department between 2011 and 2021 and is considered a confidante of Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens).

In the south-west, unlike in the federal government, there are no rules for a waiting period for former members of the government.

more on the subject

Racism in Belgium's football: Kompany offended

Meyer-Siebert extends at SC DHfK: receives second game right

These weird Christmas customs exist in other countries

According to MVV, the cooperation was agreed with the 64-year-old at the beginning of this year and will start immediately. There is an expense allowance and no employment. With around 6,200 employees and sales of around 3.5 billion euros in the 2020 financial year, MVV is, according to its own information, the fifth largest energy company in Germany. MVV RWE GmbH is one of the owners of Grosskraftwerk Mannheim AG, which generates electricity from hard coal.

Legally, there was nothing to complain about about the transition, but the question still arises as to whether this activity is legitimate, said Norman Loeckel from Transpareny. Waiting periods are intended to prevent former members of the government from taking decisions either beforehand in office or afterwards that will benefit the company or give them important access to decision-makers after the politician has left office. "If subordinates are paid, that would certainly be a conflict of interest," said Loeckel.

In other federal states such as North Rhine-Westphalia, the waiting period is twelve months.

The anti-corruption organization Transparency advocates three years in order to create a “real distance” from previous work.

In the coalition agreement, the Greens and the CDU in the south-west have agreed to introduce “contemporary rules on waiting periods” for members of the state government.

"In the event that public interests are impaired, the state government should be able to prohibit activities for a period of up to 18 months after leaving the government office," says the coalition agreement.

dpa