Overview

• Katherina Reiche has been confirmed as the Economics Minister in Friedrich Merz’s black-red coalition cabinet, with a Bundestag vote scheduled for May 6.
• Reiche is tasked with addressing Germany's slow economic growth and navigating the country’s energy transition policies.
• Her career includes over 15 years in the Bundestag, roles as Parliamentary State Secretary, and leadership positions at Westenergie AG and the National Hydrogen Council.
• Critics have raised concerns about her transition from politics to the private sector in 2015, calling for stricter cooling-off periods to avoid conflicts of interest.
• Reiche has faced public backlash for past remarks favoring traditional family structures over same-sex partnerships, which remain a point of social debate.