Overview
- Teneo announced it will hire former finance minister Christian Lindner to advise clients in the United States, Germany and other EU countries.
- Germany’s cabinet must rule on the job under a 12‑month cooling‑off period that can be extended to 18 months if public interests are deemed at risk.
- Transparency International and LobbyControl warn of a substantial conflict of interest, with TI saying such revolving‑door cases damage trust and strengthen right‑wing populists.
- Lindner’s camp says the UniCredit–Commerzbank matter was handled below ministerial level and that his role will exclude lobbying of government and deal‑related transactions.
- UniCredit now holds about 29% of Commerzbank and is reported to seek a larger stake, the German state still owns roughly 10%, and Teneo counts UniCredit among its clients.