Robert Habeck facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Habeck
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Habeck in 2025
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vice Chancellor of Germany | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 8 December 2021 – 6 May 2025 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chancellor | Olaf Scholz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Olaf Scholz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Lars Klingbeil | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 8 December 2021 – 6 May 2025 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chancellor | Olaf Scholz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Peter Altmaier | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Katherina Reiche | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of Alliance 90/The Greens | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 27 January 2018 – 29 January 2022 Serving with Annalena Baerbock
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Cem Özdemir | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Omid Nouripour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 12 June 2012 – 6 February 2018 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister-President | Torsten Albig Daniel Günther |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Heiner Garg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Monika Heinold | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister for Energy Transition, Agriculture, the Environment, Nature and Digitization of Schleswig-Holstein | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 12 June 2012 – 31 August 2018 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister-President | Torsten Albig Daniel Günther |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Juliane Rumpf | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Jan Philipp Albrecht | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of Alliance 90/The Greens in the Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 27 October 2009 – 12 June 2012 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Karl-Martin Hentschel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Eka von Kalben | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 2 September 1969 Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, West Germany |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Alliance 90/The Greens | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Andrea Paluch
(m. 1996) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parents | Hermann Habeck, Hildegard (Granzow) Habeck | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence | Flensburg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Freiburg Roskilde University University of Hamburg (MA, Dr. phil.) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Robert Habeck (born 2 September 1969) is a German politician from the Alliance 90/The Greens party. He is also a writer. From 2021 to 2025, he was the Vice Chancellor of Germany and the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action in Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government. He also served as a Member of the German Bundestag for Flensburg – Schleswig during this time.
From 2018 to 2022, Robert Habeck was a co-leader of his party, Alliance 90/The Greens, alongside Annalena Baerbock. In the 2021 German federal election, he and Annalena Baerbock were the main candidates for their party. In the 2025 federal elections, Habeck ran for chancellor. He lost his direct election in his local area but still became a member of the 21st Bundestag through his party's state list.
In 2009, Habeck became a member of the state parliament of Schleswig-Holstein. He was the leader of The Greens' group there. From 2012 to 2018, he was the deputy state leader and a minister for important areas like energy, farming, and the environment in Schleswig-Holstein. He stopped being a minister when he was chosen as a national leader for his party in 2018.
Early Life and Education
Robert Habeck finished high school in 1989. After that, he did alternative civilian service, which is a way to serve the community instead of military service. In 1991, he started studying philosophy, German, and philology at the University of Freiburg.
He also studied at Roskilde University in Denmark. In 1996, he earned a master's degree from the University of Hamburg. He continued his studies and received a doctorate in philosophy in 2000. His doctorate focused on how nature is shown in literature.
Writing Career
Since 1999, Robert Habeck and his wife, Andrea Paluch, have worked as writers. They have written children's books and translated English poems. Together, they have also published six novels. Some of their novels include Hauke Haien's Death (2001), The Day I Met My Dead Man (2005), and Under the Gully Lies the Sea (2007). Robert Habeck can speak Danish very well.
Political Career in Schleswig-Holstein
In 2009, Robert Habeck was elected to the state parliament of Schleswig-Holstein. He was chosen as the main candidate for his party in the 2012 state election. From 2009 to 2012, he led the Alliance 90/The Greens group in Schleswig-Holstein.
From 2012 to 2018, Habeck served as the Deputy Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein. He was also the State Minister for Energy, Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Areas. He held these roles in two different state governments. Under his leadership, the Green Party became the third largest group in the state parliament after the 2017 state elections.
As a representative for Schleswig-Holstein in the Bundesrat (Germany's upper house of parliament), he worked on committees dealing with farming, environment, economy, and transport. From 2014 to 2016, Habeck was part of a special commission that looked into how to safely dispose of radioactive waste in Germany.
Member of the German Bundestag
On 27 January 2018, Robert Habeck was elected as a co-leader of the Green Party at their national meeting. He shared this role with Annalena Baerbock.
In 2018, Habeck spoke about his views on what makes a nation. He said that a nation is not just about people from the same background. He also warned against simply accepting all ideas from "identity politics."
.jpg)
Robert Habeck was elected to the Bundestag (the German parliament) in the 2021 German federal election. He won against the candidate from the CDU in his local area of Flensburg – Schleswig.
Vice Chancellor and Minister for Economic Affairs
After the 2021 election, the Greens, the Social Democrats, and the Free Democrats formed a government. This was called a "traffic light coalition." In December 2021, the new Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, named Robert Habeck as the Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and Vice Chancellor. This made him one of the most important politicians in Europe.
In March 2023, Habeck took part in a special meeting in Tokyo. This meeting brought together government ministers from Germany and Japan.
Energy Policy and Climate Action
In April 2022, Robert Habeck introduced new plans to speed up Germany's use of renewable energy. This was important because Germany wanted to rely less on fossil fuels from Russia. His plan aimed for green energy to make up 80% of Germany's power by 2030. This was a big increase from about 40% in 2022.
Habeck was not in favor of nuclear energy. In 2022, he opposed efforts in the European Union to call nuclear power a "green" energy source. However, during an energy shortage in 2022, he announced plans to keep two of Germany's three remaining nuclear power stations ready to use. This was to make sure there was enough electricity during the winter.
In September 2022, Habeck presented a plan worth €200 billion to help German businesses and families with high energy costs. He also said that the United States and other "friendly" gas suppliers were making too much money from the war in Ukraine by charging very high prices for gas. He asked for more support from the US for European countries facing energy problems.
Habeck supports the European Green Deal, which is a plan for Europe to become climate-neutral. In June 2022, he said that Germany had launched one of the biggest climate plans in EU history. In July 2023, Habeck stated that Germany's move to green energy would be challenging for people. He called for Germany to stop using coal by 2030. In January 2024, he faced protests from German farmers who were unhappy with his green policies and cuts to farming support.
In November 2023, Habeck helped arrange financial support for Siemens Energy, a large energy company. This support helped the company complete its orders.
After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Habeck's ministry decided not to extend the life of Germany's remaining nuclear power plants. They argued that the costs were too high. Critics believed nuclear energy could help Germany reduce its reliance on Russian gas. Habeck warned that if Germany did not get more gas, there might not be enough to heat homes and keep industries running.
In March 2022, he met with the leader of Qatar, a large exporter of liquefied natural gas. Habeck announced that Germany had formed a long-term energy partnership with Qatar. He said Germany planned to stop importing natural gas from Russia by mid-2024. He also mentioned that ending Russian energy imports would likely make energy prices higher for German businesses and people. In June 2022, Habeck warned that Germany was facing a very serious energy crisis. The last three nuclear power plants in Germany were shut down on 15 April 2023.
In April 2024, there was a discussion about the closing of nuclear power plants in Germany. A German magazine claimed that Habeck had not been fully open with the public in 2022 and had not listened to experts who said nuclear plants were still safe.
-
Habeck with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, 16 February 2024
-
Habeck with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, 21 November 2024
Foreign Investments and Trade
Under Habeck's leadership, his ministry stopped a Chinese company from buying a German medical device maker in April 2022. This was because the government believed it could be a risk to public safety. In November 2022, he also blocked a Swedish company (owned by a Chinese firm) from buying a German semiconductor factory. He said Germany needed to protect important industries from possible security threats.
Habeck supported a free trade agreement between the European Union and South American countries. He believed it would be good for both regions.
Domestic Policies
Robert Habeck has often spoken in favor of allowing migrants from camps on the Greek islands to come to Germany. In November 2020, he presented a plan to deal with individuals who are considered a security risk due to extreme views. This plan included hiring more staff for local authorities to watch these individuals more closely. It also suggested banning certain extremist groups.
In October 2023, Habeck called for more immigration to Germany. He said that a lack of skilled workers was Germany's most urgent problem. Germany's immigration reforms in 2023 made it easier for skilled workers from outside the EU to get work visas. In July 2024, Habeck suggested tax relief for skilled foreign workers. In September 2024, he said the government would consider how to help Volkswagen if they had to lay off many workers. He believed the government should support the move to electric cars.
Views on the Gaza War
On 2 November 2023, Robert Habeck posted a video about protests in Germany related to the Gaza war. He stated that burning the flag of Israel and praising Hamas are serious crimes in Germany. He also said that non-Germans who do this could lose their right to live in Germany or be deported. His video was watched over 42 million times in two weeks.
On 11 January 2024, while visiting an area near the Gaza strip, Habeck called a lawsuit against Israel "one of the biggest absurdities." He explained that genocide means the deliberate plan to wipe out groups of people. In May 2024, however, he said that some of Israel's actions, especially in Rafah, did not follow international law.
Defense Spending
In March 2024, Habeck said that Germany could not always rely on the United States to pay for everything or provide military materials. He stated that Germany needed to increase its military production and prepare for national defense again.
German Government Crisis
In November 2024, after the FDP left the government, Robert Habeck announced that he wanted to be the Green Party's candidate for chancellor in the 2025 German federal election. At a party meeting on 17 November 2024, he was officially chosen as their candidate.
Other Activities
- KfW: He has been a member of the board of supervisors since 2021.
- RAG-Stiftung: He has been a member of the board of trustees since 2021.
Personal Life
Robert Habeck is married and has four children. He is a vegetarian. His brother-in-law, Stefan Birkner, is also a politician.
See also
In Spanish: Robert Habeck para niños
