(new: "Wirtschaftsweiser" Truger in the 8th paragraph)

BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - It is less than four years since the German Council of Economic Experts welcomed two women into its illustrious circle. Two years later, Monika Schnitzer, a professor from Munich and the older and more highly decorated of the two women, was even appointed the first female chairwoman of the German government's important advisory body, the so-called "Wirtschaftsweisen". But one woman in particular is making headlines: Veronika Grimm.

There has now been an open dispute between Grimm on the one hand and Schnitzer and the three other members of the Council of Economic Experts Achim Truger, Ulrike Malmendier and Martin Werding on the other. Grimm, an experienced expert in the field of energy policy, would like to take up a position on the supervisory board of the energy company Siemens Energy next week.

The other four "economic experts" see this as an irreconcilable conflict of interest and are calling on Grimm to either resign from her position at Siemens Energy or from her position on the Expert Council. The upcoming energy transformation is of "outstanding economic and economic policy importance". Veronika Grimm's expertise would therefore be of great value in the Council's work. In addition, public awareness of compliance issues has increased.

In fact, there are differing views on the compatibility of a Supervisory Board position at Siemens Energy and work for the "Wirtschaftsweisen". The organization Lobbycontrol sees a conflict of interest. "Anyone who advises the German government on macroeconomic issues should not be paid by a large company and sit on its committees," the association emphasized.

First dissonance due to supervisory board mandate

The procedure is a novelty for the committee. Individual members have previously been active in supervisory positions at German stock corporations. But there had never been any public dissonance over this. "I had this checked in advance - the legal situation is clear," Grimm told the German Press Agency. Colleagues on the Council were informed immediately.

Grimm told "Die Welt": "There is a good reason why politicians are not allowed to dismiss members of the Council of Experts during their term of office: so that this body can advise independently and is not under pressure to express only a specific, desired opinion. The independence of the Expert Council is not compatible with the desire to force me out of office." Grimm's mandate extends until 2027.

Schnitzer told the "Handelsblatt" newspaper (Thursday) that the most important asset of the Expert Council is its independence: "Working for a company that is so dependent on the government at the same time cannot work." In response to the accusation that she only wanted to get rid of an opponent for political reasons, Schnitzer said: "What nonsense." She would prefer Grimm to stay on the council rather than join the supervisory board.

The "economist" Truger called it "nonsense that it is now being claimed that it is about personal rivalries or about getting rid of a disliked critic of the red-green government policy". "It's about the conflict of interest, which we have discussed internally on several occasions. We are really serious about the fact that we see a problem here," he told "stern" and "Capital". According to him, it is "obviously problematic when someone on a committee advises the German government on transformation policy and is on the supervisory board of a company that is a key player in the transformation".

The committee is said to have initially written to the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Siemens Energy, Joe Kaeser. Later, an email was sent to Grimm asking him to resign - with a copy to Federal Ministers Christian Lindner (FDP, Finance), Robert Habeck (Greens, Economy) and Chancellery Minister Wolfgang Schmidt (SPD). The "Handelsblatt" had reported first.

Opposition sees attack on critical economist

Compliance expert Professor Christian Strenger also considers Grimm's election to the Supervisory Board to be problematic. As Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Siemens Energy, Kaeser must clarify whether the planned appointment would create a risk of conflicts of interest, he told Die Welt some time ago. The company is supported by the German government, which is advised by Grimm among others, with a billion-euro guarantee - which, according to Grimm's critics, does not ease the situation.

Support comes from the FDP and the CDU/CSU. Reinhard Houben, economic policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group in the Bundestag, said: "It is perfidious to construct a conflict of interest from Ms. Grimm's supervisory board mandate at Siemens Energy." The process has the potential to irreparably damage the reputation of the body of "economic experts" and its members. His colleague Julia Klockner from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group went one step further: "It seems as if the government wants to get rid of a critical voice because Prof. Grimm is not in line."

Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) said that the Expert Council was an independent body. He did not want to comment specifically on the Grimm case. In general, Habeck said that the law does not provide for any exclusion rules in the event of conflicts of interest, but that such conflicts should be avoided. The Expert Council will be smart enough to ensure that conflicts of interest are resolved.

Lucrative post for well-known professor

Under current regulations, an ordinary member of the Supervisory Board at Siemens Energy receives a basic remuneration of 120,000 euros per year, plus attendance fees and, if applicable, remuneration for committee work, which can add up to several tens of thousands of euros.

Grimm distinguishes herself from other members of the panel of experts of the "Wirtschaftsweisen" by her high public profile. As a sought-after interlocutor in many talk shows, and a decidedly articulate speaker on almost all topics relating to the economy in Germany, Grimm has become something of the face of the "Wirtschaftsweisen" in recent years - without, however, being the chairman. Schnitzer has lagged behind in the public perception. In addition, Grimm is known for not mincing her words.

In the past, for example, she had spoken out in favor of continuing to operate the then still active German nuclear power plants for several years, contrary to the German government's line. She is skeptical about a possible easing of the debt brake, and she also criticized the German government when it came to climate money. On the other hand, hydrogen expert Grimm is also open to environmental and climate protection issues.

Schnitzer, on the other hand, has recently faced frequent criticism from the CDU/CSU, for example when she proposed abolishing the widow's pension. Contrary to the position of the FDP, she insisted on a reform of the debt brake.

Grimm recently made headlines when she announced her move from her home university, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen, to the newly founded TU Nuremberg - Grimm is one of the first female professors at the prestigious project in the hometown of Bavaria's Minister President Markus Soder (CSU)./dm/DP/he