Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz has completed a troubled cabinet reshuffle after days of confusion triggered by a political scandal and a failed ministerial replacement.
On July 27, Merz announced that Steffen Bilger, a 47-year-old member of his conservative CDU party, will take over as transport minister. He is set to officially replace Patrick Schnieder on July 29, according to Hurriyet Daily News.
The transition, however, has been anything but smooth. Plans to remove Schnieder leaked last week, but the government failed to act quickly when Merz’s first choice for the role suddenly withdrew. This left Schnieder in office for several more days, creating uncertainty and public criticism. He eventually requested to step down on July 26.
Merz admitted the situation was mishandled, saying he was “sorry” for how events unfolded, while stressing he held no personal grievances against Schnieder. The outgoing minister had already faced mounting criticism for failing to improve Germany’s struggling rail system, despite a major government push to invest heavily in infrastructure.
The reshuffle was originally sparked by the resignation of Jens Spahn, a senior CDU figure, following controversy over surrogacy. Spahn and his husband had a child through a surrogate in the United States, a practice banned in Germany and opposed by his party.
In the wider shake-up, Thorsten Frei will replace Spahn, while Health Minister Nina Warken moves into Frei’s former role. CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann is set to become the new health minister.
