German Chancellor Merz reshuffles cabinet before elections

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reshuffled key posts in his government on Friday, July 24, 2026, in an effort to revitalize his coalition ahead of critical regional elections this September. The changes follow the resignation of a senior ally and aim to present a more effective administration as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) threatens to win control of a state government for the first time.

Merz announced that his chief of staff, Thorsten Frei, will take over as leader of the parliamentary group for the Union bloc, a powerful position left vacant after Jens Spahn resigned. Health Minister Nina Warken will replace Frei at the chancellery, becoming the first woman to hold that central coordinating role. Carsten Linnemann, the general secretary of Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), will become the new health minister. Merz indicated further cabinet changes are forthcoming but did not provide details.

The immediate catalyst for the reshuffle was Spahn's resignation on July 18 after it was revealed he and his husband had a child via a surrogate mother in the United States. Surrogacy is prohibited in Germany, and the CDU reaffirmed its opposition to the practice...