Overview

• Katherina Reiche, former VKU chief executive and Merkel-era Parliamentary State Secretary, has been officially named Federal Minister for Economic Affairs.
• She succeeds Robert Habeck of the Greens, marking a shift in Germany’s economic governance under the CDU-SPD coalition.
• Reiche’s appointment comes as protests are organized in Schwedt, demanding solutions for the PCK refinery impacted by the Russian oil embargo.
• Her career trajectory, which includes a controversial move from politics to industry in 2015, has reignited debates over revolving-door practices in government.
• Observers are closely watching how Reiche’s industry ties and political experience will shape Germany’s energy security and economic policies moving forward.