German state secretaries are usually not too much in the spotlight. For Patrick Graichen, it is a different story: The high-ranking official in the German Ministry of Economics now faces allegations of cronyism and calls for his resignation. The designated candidate for chair of the German Energy Agency (Dena) board, Michael Schäfer, is Graichen’s best man. Graichen was involved in the selection process for the Dena chair, although he was aware of Schäfer’s application early on. Graichen speaks of a „mistake that he very much regrets.“ He should have withdrawn from the selection committee once Schäfer became a candidate, he says.