Coalition crisis? Merz has to prove itself against talentlessness!

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Am 28.04.2025 präsentiert die CDU die Ministerposten unter Friedrich Merz. Wer, was, wann und wie in der hessischen Politik.
On April 28, 2025, the CDU will present the ministerial posts under Friedrich Merz. Who, what, when and how in Hessian politics. (Symbolbild/ANAG)

The future federal government under the direction of Friedrich Merz (CDU) faces the challenge of distributing the ministerial posts fairly. The new Chancellor is expected to start working on May 6th, provided the coalition agreement between the CDU, CSU and SPD agrees, as FAZ.net reported. While the CDU six and the CSU want to claim three ministries, the SPD strives for seven positions.

The distribution of the ministries is not only shaped by political considerations, but also by regional interests. The Hessian CDU is perceived as underrepresented, especially in comparison to other national associations. Michael Brand and Michael Meister have positioned themselves as Parliamentary State Secretaries in the Ministry of Education and Family Affairs as well as in the Chancellery, which, due to the services of the Hessian Union, is not regarded as sufficient weighting in the state election. Boris Rhein, Prime Minister of Hesse, could emphasize the success of his party in the coalition talks, but the impression remains that there is a lack of talents to adequately represent Hesse in the federal government.

The challenges of the ministries

The ministerial posts from the various national associations are the focus of the discussion. In the social ministries, the SPD sees opportunities for the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Finance, while the Union has great hopes for the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of the Interior. Important positions such as the Ministry of Household could also hike to the SPD.

  • Important ministries and their expected candidates:
    • External (CDU): Johann WadePhul
    • Economy and Energy (CDU): Katherina Reiche
    • Health (CDU): Nina Warken
    • Verkehr (CDU): Ina Scharrenbach
    • Finance (SPD): Lars Klingbeil
    • Defense (SPD): Boris Pistorius
    • Justice (SPD): Sonja Eichwede

The ministerial post distribution is traditionally taken into account, taking into account the proportion, which depicts the balance of power between the state associations. The SPD has a challenge to position their applicants, while many ministerial heads from the Union distract from other relevant topics such as the interests of the new federal states. In addition, there could be tensions, especially with a view to the overrepresentation of the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony within the government.

In summary, Merz needs a clever balance to adequately represent the Hessian Union, which has made a lot of contributions in the past, in the ministries. The crucial point is how the members of the CDU, CSU and SPD bring their interests under one roof to enable common political action. The pressure is growing to build a powerful and diverse federal government that has grown to the challenges of time.

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