Robert Habeck is blooming strenuous days: A successor to Patrick Graichen is needed. Ironically, it could be a green again.
Berlin/Munich – Robert Habeck dismissed his personified linchpin in the energy transition on Wednesday (17 May): After weeks of nepotism debates, State Secretary Patrick Graichen still has to go. There are some indications that this is not the end of the misery for the Greens – but regardless of this, Habeck's ministry now needs a new architect for the core project of the energy transition.
It is possible that an old acquaintance from the Green Party days in northern Germany is at the top of the list in Habeck's economics department: According to a report in Bild, Klaus Müller is considered one of the first contenders for Graichen's now vacant office. Negotiations are already underway, the paper wrote.
However, Müller already has a central office: he heads the Federal Network Agency - also a central body in the restructuring of the energy supply; also and especially in the Ukraine war. He took office under the aegis of the traffic light coalition in March 2022. The functionary is not politically neutral, he is also a member of the Greens. And he was already Minister of the Environment and Agriculture in Schleswig-Holstein for his party.
Habeck's new Graichen? Klaus Müller and the Vice-Chancellor share a Nordic Green history
However, this time was already a few years ago: From 2000 to 2005, Müller served under long-term Prime Minister Heide Simonis (SPD). Habeck and Müller are likely to share common memories of this phase. Today's Vice-Chancellor was then the head of the Green Party in Schleswig-Holstein. According to all the rules of political art, the two are likely to have worked together on concepts.
In 2012, Habeck even became one of Müller's successors: At that time, he took over the Ministry of the Environment in Schleswig-Holstein, albeit with the addition of "Minister for Energy Transition". Nevertheless, Müller has been in the business longer than Habeck. As early as 1996, he led coalition negotiations with the SPD for the Greens – as a 25-year-old.
Professional factors could also speak in Müller's favor. As head of the Federal Network Agency, he has had a lot to do with Germany's dependence on gas as a raw material in recent months. Müller has also publicly spoken out in favour of Habeck's controversial heating plans. "In private households, there is great potential to save gas, the time for gas heating is running out," he told the Rheinische Post in mid-May. In doing so, he is in line with the arguments of his Green party friends.
Robert Habeck (left) and network agency boss Klaus Müller at a traffic light retreat at Schloss Meseberg. (Archive image) © Imago/Political-Moments
A Green source allegedly confirmed the considerations to Bild. Müller was "deep in the subject" and could take over "the tasks without long training," the newspaper quoted its unnamed informant. Nevertheless, according to the report, there was still no agreement on Wednesday evening.
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Habeck savior from the north: Müller was a consumer advocate – and likes to "explain"
Another consideration could also make Müller, who trained as an economist in Kiel, an attractive candidate for Graichen's office. From 2014 to 2022, he headed the Federation of German Consumer Organizations. In this capacity, he has advocated for the "consumers" in the country. It is therefore conceivable that Müller will be better able to understand and communicate the points of view and concerns of heating owners and users in Germany than Habeck and his Greens have succeeded in doing so far.
Müller has already ventured into sensitive issues for the Greens in recent months. For example, he thought out loud about the possibility of throttling the charging of electric cars – to prevent a blackout in Germany. "Everyone comes home and wants to charge their e-car after work," Müller explained in Manager Magazin. "It is important to prevent grid overloads." E-mobility is also a hotly contested topic.
In an interview with dpa, Müller also called for "explaining" in politics – and referred to Simonis as a teacher. "She was always someone who said, 'You have to explain what you're doing. If you don't explain to people what you're doing, if you're not transparent in your actions, you'll lose them." This could also be an important lesson for Habeck's ministry in recent weeks. (fn with material from dpa
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