Norbert Röttgen

Former Federal Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen was nominated in May 2006 for the BDI office of the general manager, the chief lobbyist of German industry. Member of the Bundestag he wanted to stay in parallel. In a letter to the CDU members of his constituency Rhein-Sieg, he announced that he would "of course continue his mandate until the end of this parliamentary term". After violent criticism of his planned double function, also from the ranks of the Industrial Association, Röttgen had dispensed with the BDI post.

On January 1, 2007, Röttgen was to become general manager at the Federal Association of German Industry (BDI). He therefore wanted to give up his office as the first parliamentary managing director of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in October 2006, but still retained his mandate in the German Bundestag until the end of the legislative period (autumn 2009). This was criticized from circles of the other parties - later also from the CSU and CDU - and the BDI itself. The BDI general manager Ludolf von Wartenberg to be released had also been a CDU member of the Bundestag until his start of service (January 1, 1990); He then no longer competed for the Bundestag election on December 2, 1990.

On July 18, 2006, the former BDI President Hans-Olaf Henkel and Michael Rogowski spoke in an open letter of an "[...] possibly fatal mistake [...]" and saw "[...] insoluble conflicts of interest [...]". They thought "it is wrong to accept his simultaneous membership in the German Bundestag," and warned a waiver of mandate.

The state chairman of the CDU Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Jürgen Seidel, said on July 21, 2006 in a newspaper interview: "I think it is difficult if the lobbyist representatives paid full-time are also members of the Bundestag and are supposed to fill up two time and labor-intensive functions."

After increasing criticism of his planned double role, Röttgen withdrew on July 21, 2006 with his promise for the post of the general manager at the BDI. Hans-Olaf Henkel paid respect for his decision.

On October 28, 2009 - after the Bundestag election in 2009 - Röttgen Sigmar Gabriel followed as Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. His discharge took place in 2012 as part of the fourth cabinet reorganization in the Merkel II cabinet.