Germany's coalition leaders regroup in Münster without Spahn
Leaders of Germany's ruling coalition factions have gathered in Münster to show they can secure a slim majority without former point man Jens Spahn, as opposition figures criticize the government and Berlin pushes back on EU budget growth.
Leaders of the parliamentary factions in Germany's grand coalition have met in Münster in what is being described as an attempt to find internal peace after recent tensions. Attention is focused on a new leadership trio: Thorsten Frei of the CDU, Alexander Hoffmann of the CSU, and Matthias Miersch of the SPD, who must now prove they can secure the government's narrow majority without former coalition manager Jens Spahn.
Commentators suggest the trio could bring fresh momentum to the coalition, though they also carry unresolved baggage from earlier disputes. Frei's role in particular is shifting — he must move from a behind-the-scenes operator to a more visible, vocal spokesman for his faction.
Opposition criticism
Green party leader Franziska Brantner used an interview to call for an immediate end to the infighting between the conservative Union and the SPD. She argued that Chancellor Friedrich Merz's purely rhetorical commitments on climate policy are not enough given the country's strained economic situation.
EU budget dispute
At the same time, a separate conflict is unfolding over the European Union's budget. Chancellor Merz is building an alliance in Berlin with fiscally cautious member states to prevent Brussels' budget from growing as much as the European Commission wants. The dispute centers on the EU's multiannual financial framework for 2028 to 2034. Merz faces a marathon of upcoming summits on the issue, and, as is often the case in EU budget talks, a resolution is expected to come down to the wire.
