An ad-hoc cabinet reshuffle just backfired on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. With political egos flying and hurt feelings all around, could this inner-party frustration threaten the stability of his government? Merz only has a narrow 12-vote majority in parliament for a host of planned reform packages. Is this a threat to government stability? And does this play into the hands of the far-right AfD, which is already leading nationwide polls? DW’s Michaela Küfner and Nina Haase draw on the expertise of Reuters’ Chief Correspondent Andreas Rinke to separate the political drama from the facts, and they debate whether Merz is better at strengthening his government or creating problems for himself.
#dwgermanpolitics #dwberlinbriefing #merz
Chapters:
00:00 Egos flying
02:31 Saxony-Anhalt test
5:26 Merz’s real Challenge
6:38 Personnel carousel
09:45 New faces, new strategy?
12:49 WhatsApp politics
15:24 Fallout from Spahn’s exit
20:06 12-Vote Majority
21:45 Lessons from the Merkel Era
24:45 AfD Leads Polls
26:43 Unpopularity Contest
32:48 Can stability return?
Berlin Briefing Episodes:
Articles:
Why did Jens Spahn’s surrogacy spark debate in Germany?
https://www.dw.com/en/why-did-jens-spahns-surrogacy-spark-debate-in-germany/a-78009366
Germany news: CDU wins Rhineland-Palatinate election
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-news-cdu-wins-rhineland-palatinate-election/live-76465368
Germany: SPD maintains winning streak in Saarland vote
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-spd-maintains-winning-streak-in-saarland-vote/a-61271943
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