German Green leader sees Spahn's resignation as chance for Merz

Green Party leader Franziska Brantner sees the resignation of CDU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn as a chance for Chancellor Friedrich Merz to rebuild his cabinet. "This would be the moment for Mr. Merz to truly say: Tabula rasa, we're starting anew now," Brantner stated in an ARD interview.

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This would be the moment for Mr. Merz to truly say: Tabula rasa, we're starting anew now.

Brantner criticized Spahn's declining credibility in recent years, calling his resignation the "last straw." She recalled the mask affair and Spahn's perceived affinity for "destroyers of democracy" like former U.S. President Donald Trump. The Chancellor, she argued, now has the opportunity to free his cabinet from "all those who have weaknesses in their craft and those who are ideologically stubborn."

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It was the last straw that made the cup overflow.

The Green Party leader also took aim at the government's energy policy, accusing Economic Minister Katherina Reiche of hindering renewable energy development. Chancellor Merz himself did not rule out a government reshuffle, suggesting it could be an opportunity to rethink the cabinet's composition. Spahn resigned after significant criticism regarding his use of a surrogate mother abroad, leaving the successor for the CDU parliamentary leadership position undecided.

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It could be an opportunity to rethink the composition of the federal government.