Alexander Schweitzer of the SPD officially began his tenure on Wednesday in the Bundestag, having taken the oath as the Federal Minister of Labor. He had been appointed by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier the day before. Schweitzer takes over from Bärbel Bas, who had surprisingly announced her resignation as both Minister and SPD chairwoman on Monday citing personal reasons.
It is still uncertain if further cabinet changes will occur in the coming weeks. The entire SPD leadership is expected to be re-elected in January, a process that could also destabilize the office of the remaining party chairman, Lars Klingbeil. Furthermore, the SPD’s previous commitment to achieving gender parity within the cabinet appears to be moving further away following the transition of power from Bas to Schweitzer.
