Former Minister Steinbach ought to resign from his consulting position
Brandenburg Government Examines Potential Conflict of Interest for Former Economics Minister
In Brandenburg, Germany, the state government is currently examining whether to prohibit Jörg Steinbach from taking a job due to potential conflicts of interest. Steinbach, who headed the Economics Ministry for six years, announced in November 2024 that he would not be part of a new state government due to content-related differences with the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW).
Steinbach has been asked to refrain from consulting for the law firm CMS until a decision is made on a possible prohibition. The law firm CMS in Berlin advised the state of Brandenburg regarding the Tesla settlement. It is not clear if Steinbach's role at CMS is related to the state of Brandenburg. Steinbach has stated that his activities for CMS have focused on topics unrelated to the state of Brandenburg.
The Brandenburg Minister Law requires government members to notify the state government in writing if they wish to take up employment outside the public service within the first two years after leaving office. The government can prohibit a new job entirely or in part for the first two years after leaving office if public interests are affected.
Brandenburg, like many German states, typically has cooling-off periods or rules designed to prevent conflicts of interest when former ministers move into private sector jobs related to their former governmental responsibilities. These are aimed at avoiding the misuse of insider knowledge or undue influence. Common practices include a ban or restriction on taking certain jobs involving lobbying or business dealings with the government for a fixed period, often 12 to 18 months after leaving office. Mandatory disclosure of new employment or consultancy roles is also common, as well as oversight by government ethics or anti-corruption commissions.
Transparency International has criticized that former government members often switch to companies they previously advised or regulated without adequate cooling-off periods. The purpose of these rules is to address potential conflicts of interest, ensuring that former ministers do not use privileged information or connections for personal advantage or unduly influence former departments.
For detailed, specific regulations, one would need to consult Brandenburg’s state laws on public officials’ post-office employment or Germany’s wider federal rules. These are often derived from broader public service regulations and anti-corruption policies, but are subject to variation across federal states.
In a separate incident, Guido Beermann, former Transport Minister, changed jobs to the automotive industry in 2024, which sparked criticism. The state government examined Beermann's job change and ultimately gave its approval.
The Minister of Law regulates employment in the state of Brandenburg. It remains to be seen whether Steinbach will be allowed to take up his new job or if the state government will impose restrictions due to potential conflicts of interest.
- In light of the Brandenburg Minister Law, it remains to be seen if the state government will prohibit Jörg Steinbach from taking up his new job due to potential conflicts of interest arising from policy-and-legislation and politics, as Steinbach served as the Economics Minister.
- Given the concerns about conflicts of interest when former ministers move into jobs related to their former governmental responsibilities, as evident in the critique by Transparency International, the state government will likely scrutinize Steinbach's potential employment in the realm of policy-and-legislation and general-news, particularly if it involves his former advisors or regulates entities similar to those he advised as a minister.
