According to a government response to a parliamentary inquiry by the Greens, the scope of searches conducted on email accounts at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs appears to have been much larger than previously reported. The ministry confirmed that on January 28th and 29th, 36 accounts were searched, affecting 27 employees, a significant increase from the previously known isolated incident.
Addressing the inquiry, State Secretary Frank Wetzel clarified that the searches were not related to the supposed leaking of draft legislation. Instead, the operation focused on the “disclosure of personal data” and “third-party business secrets” stemming from a ministerial trip. This came amid heightened public interest following the release of confidential information concerning Minister Reiche’s journey to Saudi Arabia late in January.
Wetzel also provided details on the execution of the measure, specifying that the content of the emails was not read. Instead, staff were analyzed using metadata, including the sender, recipient, subject, date, and time. The employees concerned were informed about the investigation on February 5th, and Wetzel stated that the measure was implemented at the personal request of Economics Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU), following internal consultation among state secretaries.
However, Greens Member of Parliament Michael Kellner strongly criticized the event, characterizing the Minister’s leadership style as demonstrating “toxic behavior”. Kellner explicitly suggested that the Minister’s methods involved “spying, forced dismissals, and disciplinary actions”.