Former Left Party politician Sebastian Scheel (49) is to become the new State Secretary in the Saxon Ministry of Economic Affairs. He replaces Thomas Kralinski (SPD), who had been head of the ministry since 2022, the ministry announced. No reasons were given. Economics Minister Dirk Panter (SPD) had asked Minister-President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) to make a change in this post, it said.
"I am delighted that I have been able to recruit Sebastian Scheel to work with me in Saxony. Through his many years in various political roles in Saxony, I have come to appreciate him and his expertise," explained Panter. Scheel's experience as State Secretary and Senator in Berlin as well as his in-depth knowledge of the energy industry are an important asset for the ministry.
Scheel is no stranger to Saxony. After studying political science, economics and philosophy at the University of Leipzig, he entered the Saxon state parliament for the Left Party and held various positions there for many years. In Berlin, he served as State Secretary from 2017 to 2020 and then as Senator of the Senate Department for Urban Development and Housing until 2021. He left the Left Party in 2024.
