The term of Ulrike Malmendier as economic expert is apparently not being renewed. According to the “Handelsblatt”-reporting the CDU‑led Ministry of Economy and the Chancellery, both have exercised a veto against extending the economist’s mandate on the advisory council. Because the CDU holds the proposal authority for her position, Malmendier’s tenure in the council will end at the end of February.
The SPD‑led Finance Ministry calls the decision a mistake. It says Malmendier is an outstanding international economist with an excellent reputation. SPD deputy chairman Armand Zorn also accused the CDU of “artificially politicising” the council. The concerns from the Economy Ministry and the Chancellery stem from the claim that Malmendier is not considered sufficiently “regulatory‑political”. Critics within the CDU argue that four of the five council members have moved away from the group’s traditional, strictly regulatory stance in recent years, including Malmendier.
The CDU’s preferred replacement appears to be the Vienna‑based trade economist Gabriel Felbermayr, though doubts remain about his willingness to take the role. Nicola Fuchs‑Schündeln is another candidate; she was frequently considered previously but has avoided a large public stage until taking over as director of the Berlin Center for Social Research (WZB) in 2024, which has raised her public profile. A further potential candidate is Silke Übelmesser, known for her adherence to an regulatory‑political approach.