Steffen Kampeter

He also worked closely with the then environment ministers Klaus Töpfer and Angela Merkel on the implementation of the Soil Protection Act and the dual system (Green Dot), among other things.

Kampeter gave up his seat in the Bundestag when he moved to the Confederation of German Employers' Associations in July 2016.

[5] Kampeter was appointed Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Finance when the Merkel II cabinet was formed in 2009.

In March 2015, Kampeter was appointed to the supervisory board of Deutsche Bahn AG by the German government.

[7] In June 2015, Kampeter announced his intention to be elected Chief Executive of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA).

Following his election by the BDA, Kampeter was dismissed from his position as State Secretary on 3 July 2015; he was succeeded by Jens Spahn (CDU).

In his guest commentary Staying on course in the Handelsblatt of 18 February 2013, he writes that this is not about "mechanical deficit reduction, but about setting clear priorities.

"[12] In an interview with RBB - Inforadio, Steffen Kampeter called for a strict "spending diet"’ for the Budget of the European Union.

Even with the best prevention, a European institution equipped with the financial resources and legitimised by national parliaments is necessary to provide financial assistance to member states with refinancing problems on the capital market, prevent herd panics and reduce the risk of contagion for other eurozone countries.

In an interview, the managing director of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations not only criticised the early retirement age of 63 as a political mistake, but he also called for longer working hours and greater motivation.

To achieve a more stable overall economic situation, Kampeter also believes that targeted efforts should be made to create a more efficient education system and an attractive immigration concept for skilled workers.

The timing of his demands, in particular the call for a greater appetite for work, is extremely poor in the eyes of many who have picked up on and quoted the interview.