Overview

• Economy Minister Dirk Panter asked Minister-President Michael Kretschmer on Monday to place Staatssekretär Thomas Kralinski into interim retirement.
• The ministry’s official line describes the separation as by mutual agreement, while reporting cites a long‑tense relationship between Panter and Kralinski.
• Sebastian Scheel, 49, a former Linke politician and ex–Berlin senator and state secretary, has been recruited as the new Wirtschaftsstaatssekretär.
• Panter highlighted Scheel’s administrative background and energy-sector expertise as reasons for the appointment.
• Scheel will relinquish his Berlin parliamentary mandate to take the Saxony post, according to the reports.