In a recent interview with Politico, CDU’s Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz expressed his disapproval of Green party politician Robert Habeck as a potential Minister of Economics in his hypothetical cabinet. Merz, who is the CDU’s chair, stated that Habeck had failed in his previous three-year term as a federal minister and that it would be a mistake to reappoint him to a role he had already “completely ruined.”
According to Merz, Habeck is no longer suitable for a pure economics ministry and it has become increasingly clear that he has not fulfilled his duties in his current position. The CDU leader went on to criticize Habeck’s handling of the heat pump debate, saying that it would have made Ludwig Erhard turn in his grave.
Merz also rejected the idea of maintaining the current structure of the Ministry of Economics and Climate under one roof, calling it a “construction from the start that is a failure.” In a cabinet led by him, he would likely adopt a different approach, the CDU chair hinted.