politics
German Chancellor Merz Signals Possible Cabinet Reshuffle After Parliamentary Leader Resigns
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the resignation of CDU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn opens the door to a broader government reshuffle. He wants a successor chosen by the end of July and faces state elections in September.
Jul 19, 8:20 AM·1m read2 sources
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the resignation of the conservative bloc's parliamentary group leader has opened the possibility of a broader government reshuffle. Speaking in a ZDF summer interview, Merz stressed he was speaking hypothetically but wants a decision on Spahn's successor by the end of July. He declined to name any candidate under consideration.
resignation Jens Spahn resigned on Saturday after being asked to step down. The move followed public criticism over Spahn and his husband becoming fathers through surrogacy in the United States. Merz said he had not expected the backlash to reach its current extent and described "quite a lot of outrage" directed at the CDU politician.
The CDU faces state elections in September in Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In Saxony-Anhalt, the far-right AfD is seeking its first state premiership. Merz said the need to resolve the leadership question quickly stems from those contests.
A new parliamentary leader would also require appointment of a new head of the Chancellery. Merz's own approval rating stands at 13 percent, according to the latest ARD-DeutschlandTrend poll, the lowest recorded for any German chancellor at this stage in office.
