Robert Habeck: from translating English verse to German high office

Ted Hughes felt the soon-to-be minister for economy and climate was on the same wavelength'

The man who will spend the next four years trying to bring about a green transformation of Germany's coal-hungry industry once faced another daunting challenge in a previous, less publicly exposed career: translating the most controversial poems in recent British history from English into German.

As Germany's next vice-chancellor and minister for economy and climate, Green party co-leader Robert Habeck will be one of the most powerful politicians not just in Germany but Europe, overseeing a new super-ministry that will span general economic policy, renewable energy and the expansion of the country's electricity grid, with a mooted budget upwards of 10bn.