German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has indicated he is open to reshaping his government following the resignation of Jens Spahn as leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, suggesting the development could provide an opportunity to reconsider the composition of his cabinet.
Speaking in ZDF’s summer interview, Merz said a government reshuffle “could be an opportunity to reflect once again on the composition of the federal government.”
Thorsten Frei, the current Head of the Federal Chancellery, is widely regarded as a leading candidate to replace Spahn as parliamentary group leader. If appointed, Merz would need to nominate a new Head of the Chancellery. However, the chancellor declined to confirm any potential appointment, saying he was hearing Frei’s name as the frontrunner “for the first time.”
The CDU leadership is expected to discuss Spahn’s successor in the coming days. Another prominent name under consideration is CDU Secretary General Carsten Linnemann, who also serves as deputy leader of the parliamentary group. Merz has previously praised Linnemann for his constructive role in drafting the CDU’s party platform and for successfully balancing the party’s different factions.
Merz Distances Himself From Spahn
Merz also publicly distanced himself from Spahn following the controversy surrounding the former parliamentary leader’s announcement that he became a father through a surrogate mother in the United States.
The chancellor said his first concern was for the well-being of the child but criticized Spahn for informing both the CDU leadership and the parliamentary group “far too late” about the matter.
“We had almost no opportunity to discuss the issue with him. If we had had more time, we would have addressed it calmly and carefully. But we did not have that time,” Merz said.
He also criticized Spahn’s handling of the communication, noting that he had respected Spahn’s wish to address the issue himself.
Merz added that it became “completely clear” over the weekend how much damage the affair had caused to the credibility of the CDU/CSU alliance.
“And that is precisely why we acted,” the German chancellor said.
