The Free Democratic Party (FDP) has sharply criticized the recent personnel decisions made by Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Speaking to the Funke Media Group, FDP Secretary General Martin Hagen stated that the ‘C’ in the CDU apparently stands for chaos, asserting that the personnel shake-ups Merz is implementing are almost impossible to surpass in their level of amateurism.
The Liberals’ criticism primarily targets the replacement of Transportation Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU), which Hagen described as a “humanly shameful” handling of the situation. This scandal is worsened by the fact that the initially chosen successor for the Chancellery post apparently found the position so unpopular that he canceled his acceptance. Steffen Bilger, who is now taking over as Transport Minister, is being heavily criticized for his association with the “crashingly failed car toll,” which has turned into a “billion-euro grave for the taxpayer.” This alone, Hagen argued, makes him an unsuitable candidate for the ministry.
Hagen also cast doubt on the recruitment for the Health Minister position. Carsten Linnemann, the new Health Minister, had publicly stated a year ago that he would not be successful in that office. Furthermore, Thorsten Frei, who is joining the cabinet, is reportedly a parliamentary group leader who has not demonstrated the ability to coordinate and organize within the Chancellery.
Finally, Hagen raised constitutional concerns regarding the fact that while the new ministers were appointed immediately, they are not scheduled to be sworn in until September. He concluded that Germany deserves a better and, most importantly, a more professional head of government. He warned that Merz’s current personnel policy is becoming an increasing burden on Germany’s future.
