Germany Former German Economics Minister Habeck leaves parliament
Former Economics Minister Robert Habeck of the Green Party is leaving the German parliament. "I informed the Bundestag Presidium this Monday that I will be resigning from the Bundestag on September 1," Habeck told the newspaper "taz".
25.08.2025, 15:15
SDA
"I will be researching, teaching and learning at various foreign research and educational institutions," the 55-year-old went on to tell the newspaper. He named the Danish Institute for International Studies in Copenhagen and the University of Berkeley in California. There would also be other stations.
Habeck also justified his decision with the fact that not only the traffic light coalition, but also his political idea of "leading the Greens to the center of society" had been voted out in order to "stabilize the center" in the face of the shrinking two former people's parties.
One of the most prominent Greens
With Habeck's departure, one of the most high-profile Green politicians over the years is withdrawing from German politics. He was Vice-Chancellor in the traffic light coalition with the SPD and FDP. As Minister for Economic Affairs, Habeck made a valuable contribution to Germany's energy supply during the energy crisis following Russia's large-scale attack on Ukraine. The turning point for him came with the controversial heating law, followed by months of negative headlines, and the coalition partner FDP put him under pressure.
Most recently, the opposition blamed him for the poor economic situation, which Habeck largely attributed to external influences such as the war in Ukraine. His demand for far-reaching investments is now being met by a government led by the CDU, of all parties, which had sharply attacked him for this.
Habeck hesitated after the election
Following the disappointing result of 11.6 percent for the Greens in the Bundestag elections in February, Habeck initially left it open for three days as to whether he would accept his mandate. The 55-year-old had led his party into the election campaign as candidate for chancellor. The day after the election, Habeck announced his withdrawal from the front row of the party and parliamentary group. Tens of thousands then called for the "beacon of hope" to remain in politics in an online petition. He became a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
From Schleswig-Holstein to Berlin
Habeck's political career began in Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany. In 2018, he moved to Berlin to head the Green Party, which he led together with Annalena Baerbock until 2022. The two wanted to make the party compatible with centrist parties. In 2021, when the Greens benefited from the strong support for climate protection at the time, Baerbock secured the candidacy for chancellor and Habeck had to take a back seat. He made no secret of his displeasure at Baerbock's botched election campaign.
Habeck as a thoughtful bridge builder
The eloquent Habeck caused a stir on several occasions with video speeches on the political situation in Germany and also garnered a lot of encouragement in some cases, for example for his warnings against anti-Semitism. He tried to avoid the clichéd language of politics.
