From 1999 Habeck and his wife Andrea Paluch worked as freelance writers. In addition to children's books and translations of English poetry, Habeck, with Paluch, published six novels, among others, Hauke Haien's Death (2001), The Day I Met My Dead Man (2005) and Under the Gully Lies the Sea (2007).[4] Habeck is fluent in Danish.[5]
Schleswig-Holstein Landtag
In 2009, Habeck was elected to the Schleswig-HolsteinLandtag via the party list.[6] In November 2011, he was voted as the top candidate of his party for the 2012 Schleswig-Holstein election. From 2009 to 2012, Habeck was chairman of the Alliance 90/The Greens group in Schleswig-Holstein.
Habeck served as Deputy Minister-President and State Minister for Energy, Agriculture, Environment and Rural Areas in the centre-leftAlbig Cabinet since 2012 and in the center-right Günther Cabinet between 2017 and 2018. Under his leadership – he was not a candidate for parliament – the Green Party became the third largest group in the Landtag after the 2017 state elections. As one of his state's representatives at the Bundesrat, he served on the Committee on Agricultural Policy and Consumer Protection; the Committee on the Environment, Nature Protection and Reactor Safety; the Committee on Economic Affairs; and the Committee on Transport. From 2014 and 2016, Habeck was one of the members of Germany's temporary National Commission on the Disposal of Radioactive Waste.[7]
On 27 January 2018, the Green Party's national convention in Hanover elected him as chairman, a position shared with Annalena Baerbock.[10]
In an interview in 2018 Habeck positioned himself against an ethnic notion of nation, which he clearly differentiated from the notion of constitutive people.[11] Additionally, he warned of uncritically acquiring the demands of identity politics.[12]
In March 2023, Habeck participated in the first joint cabinet meeting of the governments of Germany and Japan in Tokyo, chaired by Chancellor Scholz and Prime MinisterFumio Kishida.[14]
COVID-19 pandemic
In an interview with Der Tagesspiegel at the end of May 2020, Habeck argued that the COVID-19 pandemic was "maybe the first time" that health care was more important than the profit motive and economic growth. He added: "The moral is that we have to configure our economy in a way that it supports common interests and that it becomes crisis-proof as well." Part of this was environmental and climate change mitigation, saying: "The time of minor compromises is over. All parties can think much bigger." The money that had been made liquid for the crisis management must also be used to fight the economic crisis as well as the climate crisis. The past idea that a speed-limit on the Autobahn would restrict personal freedom seemed ridiculous after the decisions that had been made concerning the COVID crisis. He stated: "If one acts brave enough, one can broadly anchor the willingness of change. Ambitious politicians have received a second wind".[15]
On May 6, 2021, Habeck demanded the federal government waive patent rights for the COVID-19 vaccine.[16]
Energy policy
In April 2022, Habeck presented a package of measures to speed up Germany's expansion of renewable energy, as the need to reduce the country's heavy reliance on Russian fossil fuels added urgency to its green transition plans; the package envisaged green energy accounting for 80% of the power mix by 2030, up from about 40% in 2022 and a previous target of 65%.[17]
An opponent of nuclear energy, Habeck pushed against efforts at the EU level in 2022 to label nuclear power as a sustainable and green energy source.[18] However, amid the 2022 Russia–European Union gas dispute, he announced plans to keep two of Germany's three remaining nuclear power stations on standby, beyond a year-end deadline to ditch the fuel, to ensure enough electricity supply through the winter during a gas crunch.[19]
On 5 October 2022, Habeck accused the United States and other "friendly" gas supplier nations that they were profiting from the Ukraine war with "astronomical prices". He called for more solidarity by the US to assist energy-pressed allies in Europe.[24]
Habeck supported the European Green Deal. In June 2022, he said: "In the middle of Europe's biggest energy crisis, we have launched one of the most comprehensive climate packages in EU history."[25] In July 2023, Habeck stated that the German transition to green energy will "put a burden on people" and there's "a major transformational period ahead of us until 2030".[26] He called for a phase-out of coal by 2030.[27] In January 2024, he became the target of protests by German farmers for his role in promoting green policies and pushing for cuts in agricultural subsidies.[28][29]
In November 2023, Habeck led efforts on backstopping Siemens Energy with guarantees worth 7.5 billion euros ($8.1 billion) as part of a deal with other stakeholders to help the energy company fulfil its order book; the guarantees were part of a package totaling 15 billion euros agreed with private banks and other stakeholders and also imposed a pause on dividends and higher level bonuses.[30]
After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Habeck's ministry vetoed extending the life of Germany's remaining nuclear plants, arguing that the costs involved outweighed the benefits. Critics said that nuclear energy was a way to reduce Germany's reliance on Russian gas.[31] Habeck cautioned, "If we do not obtain more gas next winter and if deliveries from Russia were to be cut then we would not have enough gas to heat all our houses and keep all our industry going".[32] On 20 March 2022, he met Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Habeck said Germany reached a long-term energy partnership with Qatar, one of the world's largest exporters of liquefied natural gas,[33] and added: "Although we might still need Russian gas this year, in the future it won't be so any more. And this is only the start".[34] Habeck said Germany plans to end imports of Russian natural gas by mid-2024.[35] According to Habeck, the planned end of Russian energy imports will permanently raise energy prices for German industry and consumers.[36] In June 2022, Habeck warned that Germany is facing a "more significant" energy crisis than during the 1973 oil crisis.[37]
The last three nuclear power plants in Germany were shut down on 15 April 2023.[38][39]
In April 2024, there was a controversy related to the decommissioning of nuclear power plants in Germany.[40][41] German magazine Cicero claimed that Habeck had misled the public in 2022 and ignored the advice of experts who said nuclear facilities were still safe to operate.[42]
Habeck with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, 16 February 2024
Foreign investments and free trade
Under Habeck's leadership, the ministry stopped Beijing-based Aeonmed Group in April 2022 from purchasing German medical device manufacturer Heyer Medical, based on a government assessment that there were dangers to public safety.[43] In November 2022, he formally blocked Silex, a Swedish subsidiary of China's Sai Microelectronics, from buying a Elmos Semiconductor plant for €85 million, saying the country had to protect key industries from potential security threats.[44]
Habeck repeatedly declared himself in favor of evacuating refugees out of the camps on the Greek islands.[48][49]
In November 2020, Habeck presented a 11-points-action-plan against potential Islamic"Gefährder" – individuals deemed a security risk due to extremist views without necessarily being accused of a crime – which he worked out with Konstantin von Notz and Irene Mihalic, politicians for domestic policy. One topic of this paper is to recruit more staff for the local authorities to make closer surveillance and eventually a more consequent enforcement of prevailing arrest warrants possible. Another aspect of these demands was the prohibition of relevant Salafist associations.[50]
In October 2023, Habeck called for more immigration to Germany, saying the shortage of skilled workers was the country’s "most pressing structural problem".[51] Net immigration to Germany was 663,000 in 2023, down from a record 1,462,000 in 2022.[52] Germany's 2023 immigration reforms include easier requirements for obtaining work visas for skilled workers from non-EU countries.[53] In July 2024, Habeck suggested the tax relief for skilled foreign workers.[54]
In September 2024, in response to the threat of mass layoffs at the Volkswagen car manufacturer, Habeck said that the government would consider how it could help Volkswagen.[55] He said that the government should support the transition to electric cars.[56]
2023 Gaza war and protests in Germany
On 2 November 2023, Habeck posted a video on X/Twitter about the protests in Germany in relation to the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.[57] He declared that the burning of the flag of Israel and praise for Hamas is a felony in Germany and stated: "Germans will have to answer for this in court, while non-Germans also risk losing their residence status. Anyone who does not yet have a residence permit provides a reason to be deported." ("Wer Deutscher ist, wird sich dafür vor Gericht verantworten müssen, wer kein Deutscher ist, riskiert außerdem seinen Aufenthaltsstatus. Wer noch keinen Aufenthaltstitel hat, liefert einen Grund, abgeschoben zu werden.")[58] His video received wide recognition in Germany and was viewed more than 42 million times in the first two weeks.[59]
On 11 January 2024, while visiting Sderot near the Gaza strip, Habeck called the lawsuit South Africa v. Israel (Genocide Convention) to be one of the biggest absurdities ("eine der größten Absurditäten") one could come up with. The vice-chancellor of Germany declared: "but genocide is something else, it is the deliberate will to wipe out ethnic groups or religious communities, the deliberate extermination." ("Aber Völkermord ist etwas anderes, es ist das gezielte Auslöschenwollen von Ethnien oder religiösen Gemeinschaften, das gezielte Auslöschen.")[60]
In May 2024, however, he argued that Israel's actions, especially the Rafah offensive, are "incompatible with international law".[61]
We cannot rely on the Americans to always foot the bill for everything or to provide the necessary materials. That means that ramping up military production, the defense and armaments industries, and scenarios including for national defense — these all need to be reactivated again.
Hate crimes
Supported by non-profit organization Hate Aid, Habeck had filed more than 700 criminal complaints relating to hate crime by 2024.[63]
Other activities
KfW, ex-officio member of the board of supervisory directors (since 2021)[64]
RAG-Stiftung, ex-officio member of the board of trustees (since 2021)[65]
^Robert Habeck: Die Natur der Literatur: zur gattungstheoretischen Begründung literarischer Ästhetizität, Dissertation Universität Hamburg 2000, Königshausen und Neumann, Würzburg 2001, ISBN3-8260-2066-9
^„Die Zeit der kleinen Kompromisse ist vorbei." Grünen-Chef Robert Habeck über Konjunkturpaket, Kanzlerin und Kurzstreckenflüge. In: Der Tagesspiegel, 31 May 2020, p. 3. (changed title of online edition; Retrieved 31 May 2020.)
^Orde, Sabine am (2 November 2023). "Hamas-Angriff auf Israel: Viel Lob für Habeck-Video". Tageszeitung. Retrieved 6 January 2024. Der Vizekanzler erklärt in einem Video Israels Sicherheit als deutsche „Staatsräson" und verurteilt Antisemitismus – von links, rechts, von Muslimen.
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