Why did Napoleon support Karl vom Stein’s appointment as Prussian chief minister?

Napoleon supported the appointment of Karl, Reichsfreiherr vom und zum Stein as Prussian chief minister in 1807 primarily because the Peace of Tilsit required the dismissal of the previous minister, Karl von Hardenberg, at Napoleon's behest.1

Following the military collapse of Prussia in 1806, the state was in a precarious position, burdened by exorbitant financial contributions to Napoleon and French military occupation. Napoleon’s demands on Prussia necessitated significant internal reforms to ensure the state could meet its obligations, and Stein was viewed as a capable administrator who could oversee these necessary changes. Although Stein later became a central figure in the German resistance against Napoleon, his initial appointment was a result of the political vacuum created by the French-imposed dismissal of his predecessor.21