Merz Reshuffles Cabinet After Spahn Resignation, But Legal Questions Loom Over September Swearing-In
Published on 07/29/2026 at 07:25 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced eight major personnel changes across Germany’s federal government and parliamentary leadership on July 29, 2026, a shake-up triggered by former Health Minister Jens Spahn’s resignation amid a surrogacy controversy. Yet the reshuffle has already sparked legal debate over whether the planned September 9 swearing-in date violates the constitution.
Four of the eight appointments are confirmed. Thorsten Frei will lead the parliamentary group, Nina Warken becomes head of the Chancellery, Carsten Linnemann takes over the Health Ministry, and Steffen Bilger is set to run the Transport Ministry after Fritz Güntzler turned down the post. These moves fill gaps left by Spahn’s departure, but three key positions remain vacant: parliamentary secretary, treasurer, and sports minister.
The delay in formalizing the appointments has drawn sharp criticism from constitutional lawyers, who argue that postponing the swearing-in until September 9 breaches Article 64 of the Basic Law. Merz defended the timeline as legally permissible, citing cost-saving reasons for the late date. The government also pushed back against criticism from outgoing State Secretary Tino Sorge, stating on July 28 that ministers have the right to select their own state secretaries.
Internal tensions within the Union are mounting, particularly over the handling of outgoing Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder. Schnieder requested his dismissal on July 26, and Merz expressed regret over the resulting limbo. The CDU’s state parliamentary group in Rhineland-Palatinate canceled a planned meeting with the chancellor on July 27, explicitly citing Schnieder’s treatment as the reason.
Meanwhile, the CDU executive is pressing ahead with internal appointments. Franziska Hoppermann was unanimously elected as the party’s new general secretary on July 27. Additional state secretary posts have been filled at the working level: Christiane Schenderlein moves to the Health Ministry, Gitta Connemann to the Digital Ministry, and Johannes Steiniger to the Economics Ministry.
With the transition period stretching into September, the government now faces the challenge of keeping affected ministries operational amid the legally contested handover.
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