Political uncertainty grips Germany

BERLIN:

Germany's labour minister and co-head of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) quit unexpectedly on Monday, adding to uncertainty around Chancellor Friedrich Merz's struggling coalition after bruising state election defeats last month.

Baerbel Bas said she was resigning from both positions to deal with grief over her stepdaughter's recent death.

She added that "public attacks against me, unfortunately also from within the ranks of our coalition partner," had made her situation unbearable.

Bas will be replaced as minister by Alexander Schweitzer, former state premier of the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and the whole of the SPD leadership will face re-election in a special party conference at the end of the year. While the departure of one minister was not expected to disrupt the overall government, it highlighted the turmoil facing Europe's largest economy.

Merz's coalition has been under growing pressure following state election victories for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in eastern Germany last month, which it views as the first step towards victory in federal elections due in 2029.