When the Economic and Energy Committees questioned Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck and his State Secretary Patrick Graichen (both Greens) last week, the meeting took place behind closed doors by decision of the traffic light parliamentary groups. At the insistence of the opposition, however, there was a verbatim protocol, which is now available. It suggests that Graichen had a more active role in the selection process to fill the top of the German Energy Agency (DENA) than it initially appeared.

Julia Löhr

Business correspondent in Berlin.

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Graichen had proposed several candidates to the commissioned personnel agency, including his former best man. "I also wrote the name Michael Schäfer on the list that I sent to the recruitment agency," Graichen told the committee. In the selection process, he then made it clear to the other members of the selection committee – the commission consisted of three voting members – that he knew the different applicants. "I didn't tell the members of the search committee that he was my best man," Graichen said, according to the minutes.

Of the six applicants who made it onto the shortlist, Graichen said he was on a first-name basis with four. "When I came in, I also addressed them on a first-name basis and spoke to all six of them during the session itself." Last week, lawyers raised the question of whether this could constitute a possible deception.

A "consensual discussion"

When the economic policy spokeswoman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Julia Klöckner, asked von Graichen whether he had spoken out in favour of his best man as the new managing director of DENA, Graichen remained vague. There had been a "consensual discussion" about who the three top candidates were and that Schäfer was in first place. When Klöckner then followed up again, Graichen replied: "I think I have made a positive recommendation on the subject."

The protocol also makes it clear that Graichen only informed his boss when the case was already making waves. The search committee gave its vote in March, but it was not until April 24 that Graichen Habeck informed about the witness relationship. The day before, he had become aware that the word best man was circulating in public. "That's when it was clear to me: Okay, this is perceived differently." The CDU/CSU parliamentary group now wants to question Habeck and Graichen again, according to a letter to the committee chairmen. Questions remained unanswered, such as the consequences Habeck had drawn from the compliance violations.