Merz turns party bigwig's resignation into political advantage
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is capitalizing on the resignation of CDU parliamentary leader Jens Spahn to consider a cabinet reshuffle. Spahn quit after admitting to using a surrogate mother in the U.S., which is illegal in Germany, removing a political rival and potentially stabilizing Merz's coalition.
Friedrich Merz has managed to turn the resignation of one of his key party figures into an unexpected political gift. Jens Spahn, the parliamentary leader of Merz's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), stepped down on Saturday after he and his husband admitted to using a surrogate mother in the U.S. to become parents, a practice banned in Germany.
Although initially appearing as a setback, Merz quickly moved to exploit the situation, floating the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle on Sunday. The reshuffle is attractive because Spahn was not only an internal rival who sometimes opposed Merz's plans, but also disliked by the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), Merz's coalition partner.
With Spahn gone, Merz can appoint a new parliamentary leader to stabilize the coalition. A reshuffle also offers a political reset before crucial regional elections in the fall, where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is expected to perform strongly. Merz's spokesman Stefan Kornelius told reporters that possibilities are being considered and a decision will be announced.
Following a CDU leadership meeting on Monday, lawmakers were asked to prepare for a gathering next Wednesday to elect a new parliamentary group leader, despite the summer recess. If a broader reshuffle involving new cabinet ministers is planned, a full Bundestag session would be needed. Potential candidates for the parliamentary leader post include Merz's chancellery chief Thorsten Frei, CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann, and interior minister Alexander Dobrindt. In case of a wider reshuffle, at least one woman, such as Health Minister Nina Warken, is expected to be included.
Merz's government faces historically low approval ratings: only 13% of Germans are satisfied with his performance, according to the latest ARD-DeutschlandTrend poll, the lowest for a sitting chancellor in the survey's nearly 30-year history. Merz aims to boost ratings by pushing through reforms, such as pension changes, this fall to show voters that the political center is viable. However, many proposals will be painful for centrist voters, and Merz's razor-thin parliamentary majority of just 12 seats will require significant persuasion.
