Fifty-two-year-old Katherina Reiche  is seen by many as combative, which makes her a controversial figure in Germany. She already had this image before she unexpectedly became Minister of Economic Affairs in Chancellor Friedrich Merz 's government in 2025. Environmentalists and climate activists have long regarded the politician from the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) as pro-business and pro-industry, and as an opponent of an ambitious shift towards renewables. After serving in