Ex-Prime Minister Florian Stegmann travels to Berlin
In a significant shift, Florian Stegmann, a central figure in the green-black government as State Minister from 2018 to early 2023, has left politics and the state administration, a role he held since 2011. Stegmann, who was a close confidant of Minister President Winfried Kretschmann, has embarked on a new professional chapter in Berlin.
Stegmann's departure from politics was announced in January, and he is now working alongside Harald Christ, a former member of the SPD who recently joined the FDP and became the federal treasurer. The exact nature of Stegmann's role in Christ's company is not yet clear, but it is known that the company is associated with the consulting firm of former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer.
Harald Christ, who resigned from the FDP during the D-Day scandal, has since stepped back from operational business. He has founded a foundation to promote democracy and is known for his donations to all democratic parties. The company he operates, with approximately 70 employees and a balance sheet total of 140 million euros, operates at the intersection of politics and economics.
Stegmann's tenure in politics was not without controversy. In the summer of 2023, there was a debate about a letter from Stegmann advising the Green faction not to pursue the Equal Treatment Act any further. Internally, Stegmann was not always uncontroversial, but Kretschmann always valued him as a loyal and reliable organizer of government work.
One of Stegmann's key achievements during his time in politics was driving forward the digitization of the administration, including the AI software F13, and pushing for bureaucratic reform. His new role in Berlin marks a new chapter in his career, but the specifics of his new position and its implications for politics and economics remain to be seen.
Stegmann has transitioned from politics to economics, joining the company of Harald Christ, known for his intersection of politics and economics, where he is expected to have a role in light of Stegmann's past accomplishments in driving digitization and bureaucratic reform during his tenure in politics. The foundation established by Harald Christ, promoting democracy and receiving donations from all democratic parties, may also involve Stegmann due to his political background.
