German President Steinmeier appoints three new federal ministers

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has officially appointed three new ministers from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to key government positions. Steffen Bilger takes over as the Federal Minister for Transport, Carsten Linnemann is the new Federal Minister for Health, and Nina Warken assumes the role of Head of the Chancellery.

While the new ministers received their appointment certificates from the President at his official residence, their formal oath of office is scheduled to take place in September, following the parliamentary summer recess. This delay is intended to avoid the need for a costly special session of the Bundestag, which is currently adjourned.

This cabinet reshuffle is initiated by Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) following the resignation of former CDU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn. Nina Warken transitions from the Ministry of Health to the Chancellery, replacing Thorsten Frei, who is expected to be elected as the new chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. Carsten Linnemann, the former CDU Secretary-General, now leads the Ministry of Health, while Steffen Bilger, previously the First Parliamentary Managing Director of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, moves to the Ministry of Transport.

The decision to postpone the oath of office has drawn criticism from some constitutional law experts, who argue that it may conflict with the Basic Law's provision requiring the oath to be taken "with the assumption of office."