Under-pressure German coalition rocked by minister's resignation

Germany's coalition government suffered another blow on Monday with the surprise resignation of Labour Minister Bärbel Bas, who accused her conservative coalition partners of targeting her even as she grieved for a dead family member.

Bas, a co-leader of the Social Democrats (SPD), announced her immediate resignation from both her government and party posts on Monday morning, citing the death of her stepdaughter and public attacks from coalition partners.

The 58-year-old said on Monday that she lacked "the strength" to fully carry out her duties and needed time to grieve.

She said that attacks against her - "unfortunately also from within the ranks of the coalition partner" - had continued to intensify during this personally difficult period.

Germany is governed by a coalition consisting of the conservatives led by Christian Democrat (CDU) Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the SPD.  

Politicians from the conservative bloc had recently criticized Bas sharply for not tabling draft legislation on key reforms - for example, regarding pensions - quickly enough. They had accused her of delaying and blocking the reforms.

'Inhumane and callous'

Bas' fellow SPD party leader Lars Klingbeil, who also serves as vice chancellor, expressed sadness over her decision and condemned the criticism directed at her during her bereavement as "indecent."

"Behind the offices, we are all only human," he said. "The attacks against her during her time of mourning were indecent. That is simply unacceptable," Klingbeil said.

He told reporters: "We do need debate amongst the parties; we are in competition with one another; we need a culture of debate, but we also need a culture of mutual respect."

Fellow Social Democrat Manuela Schwesig, who has been particularly prominent recently as the premier of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, said "the CDU's attacks - despite her own difficult personal circumstances - were inhumane and callous." 

Merz rejects criticism

Merz himself thanked Bas for her "dedication," and said on Monday that "her decision deserves respect." 

"As a father and grandfather, I can only imagine how deeply this loss must affect her. I wish her and her family much strength."

He rejected accusations, however, that that public attacks against her had been stepped up recently. 

At a press conference following consultations with the party leadership in Berlin, the CDU leader said that particularly over the past three weeks he had "demanded that [his] own party show her every personal and Christian consideration." 

The CDU had "always expressed its sympathy for Ms Bas over the past three weeks," said Merz. 

If there had been differences of opinion, "then they were also resolved, as was necessary in the circumstances." 

Senior figures from the conservative side of Germany's governing coalition played down the impact of Bas' resignation. 

Foreign minister and Christian Democrat, Johann Wadephul, paid tribute to her as "a very fine person, whom we in the coalition will certainly miss."

"Of course, this means absolutely nothing when it comes to the coalition," he said. "We have a job to do here for the next four years," he said, arguing that Germany and Europe needed stability at this time.

The stability of the coalition - and how long Merz can remain chancellor - has been a major talking point in Germany since a trio of tough election results in September for the mainstream parties, but particularly the CDU.

The party failed to enter a state parliament for the first time in its 81-year history in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and lost the mayor's office in Berlin.

The poor showing came just two weeks after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) resoundingly defeated the CDU in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. 

SPD faces leadership change

Bas said she would remain a member of the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament.

The former state premier of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Alexander Schweitzer - also a Social Democrat - is set to become the new labour minister.

Merz said he intended to put forward Schweitzer's name as the new minister to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier later on Monday, following a proposal from the SPD.

Klingbeil announced that the SPD would hold fresh elections for its entire leadership in the coming months in the wake of Bas's resignation.

The vote would take place at the next conference in December or January, he said. He did not reveal whether he himself would run again for the leadership, but he said he continued to believe that the party should have a duo at the top. 

Klingbeil scrapped a trip to India, which was due to start on Tuesday, to deal with the political turmoil at home.

The visit had been cancelled due to the developments in Berlin, the Finance Ministry said. The minister had been scheduled to hold talks with Indian government officials in New Delhi on Tuesday, among other engagements.