Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder has wished Robert Habeck well with future endeavors following the announcement of the former Federal Minister for Economic Affairs’ departure from the Bundestag.
Söder, speaking to Bild, stated he wished Habeck “much luck outside of politics” adding, “because he was very unsuccessful in it”. He further commented, “Go with God – as long as it’s far away”. He also made a pointed reference to a previous statement by Habeck regarding Söder’s frequent public consumption of sausages, stating he would “continue to happily eat Bavarian white sausage and Franconian bratwurst.
The move has also drawn criticism from within the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Dirk Wiese, First Parliamentary Managing Director of the SPD parliamentary group, described Habeck’s decision as revealing a “difficult understanding of democracy”. He emphasized the importance of representing constituents as a key duty of an elected Member of Parliament.
Wiese questioned the rationale behind stepping down simply because one is no longer in a prominent position, citing examples of previous high-ranking officials – including Peter de Maizière, Franz Müntefering and current Chancellor Olaf Scholz – who continued to serve their constituencies after holding ministerial positions. He asserted that focusing on the concerns of citizens is “what is expected”.