The appointment of the Hessian State Secretary for Economic Affairs and economist Philipp Nimmermann (Greens) as the new civil servant state secretary in the Federal Ministry of Economics has met with a largely positive response in Berlin. This could solve blockades in climate policy that had arisen under his predecessor Patrick Graichen (Greens), it was said on Monday. This also applies to the Building Energy Act, which Graichen played a key role in designing, which from 2024 provides for a ban on the installation of new heating systems that cannot be operated with at least 65 percent renewable energies. There is resistance to this project not only from the population and the opposition, but also from the SPD and FDP.

Christian Geinitz

Business correspondent in Berlin

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"It is good that a quick decision has been made on Graichen's successor," said the deputy chairman of the Liberal parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Lukas Köhler, the F.A.Z. "Philipp Nimmermann's appointment can mean a new start for the many important legislative projects in climate and energy policy, including the controversial Building Energy Act. There is an urgent need to make progress here without ideological blinkers." The energy association BDEW praised: "With his objective and level-headed manner, Philipp Nimmermann is an excellent choice in challenging times." BDEW boss Kerstin Andreae told the F.A.Z.: "It is good that the personnel debates are now over. In this way, the substantive issues surrounding the heat transition can come back into focus."

"Spirit of dirigisme"

Deputy CDU chairman Andreas Jung said on behalf of the opposition: "With his economic background, Phillipp Nimmermann is considered pragmatic. The traffic light heating law, on the other hand, breathes the spirit of dirigisme." Jung therefore has doubts as to whether personnel changes will be sufficient. "Is Robert Habeck really ready for a new start in terms of content? Only with the replacement of the state secretary he will not overcome the crisis of confidence," Jung told the F.A.Z. The heat transition must be technology-open and socially acceptable: "It will not work with only cosmetic corrections as announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz."

Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) dismissed Graichen last week for possible compliance violations. On Monday, his house announced that Berlin-born Nimmermann Graichen should succeed him "promptly". The 57-year-old, who holds a doctorate in economics, has been working as State Secretary in the Hessian Ministry of Economic Affairs under Tarek Al-Wazir (Greens) since 2019. Previously, Nimmermann held the post of Chief Economist at BHF-Bank and moved from there to Schleswig-Holstein in 2014 as State Secretary in the Ministry of Finance. Habeck was Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Energy there at the time