Merz reshuffles German government amid low approval and AfD debate

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has carried out a major government reshuffle, triggered by the resignation of Jens Spahn, aiming to boost the government's capacity before a critical autumn Source: El Mundo. Merz's approval ratings are at historic lows: only 18% of Germans are satisfied with the coalition and 14% approve of the chancellor personally, while the far-right AfD leads in polls Source: El Mundo.

Government reshuffle

The reshuffle includes moving Thorsten Frei from the Chancellery to lead the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, and a failed attempt to bring CSU heavyweight Alexander Dobrindt into the Chancellery Source: El Mundo. The changes are officially presented as a fresh start, but the backdrop is a packed political agenda: budget negotiations, healthcare reform, infrastructure spending, and key regional elections in the east where AfD is surging Source: El Mundo.

Internal CDU rift

Simultaneously, Merz faces growing dissent within his own party over the "firewall" against the far-right AfD. Saxony's regional premier and CDU vice president Michael Kretschmer publicly argued that "anyone still talking about a firewall against AfD has not recognized the signs of the times" Source: ABC. The CDU in Brandenburg adopted a paper calling for factual debate and dialogue with AfD based on concrete policies Source: ABC. Merz insists on the 2018 party resolution against cooperation with AfD, but the public mood is shifting: 47% of Germans now consider the exclusion of AfD wrong, up 12 points in two years Source: ABC. The media group Axel Springer, whose CEO Mathias Döpfner met with Merz, is also seen as pushing for a more open approach .