Germany's Fragile Coalition Hit by Further Turmoil as Labour Minister Quits

3-line summary

• German Labour Minister Baerbel Bas resigned, citing grief over her stepdaughter's recent death and public attacks, including from coalition partners, that made the situation untenable, according to Reuters via Investing.com. Bas stepped down from both the ministry and her role as co-leader of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD); former Rhineland-Palatinate state premier Alexander Schweitzer will succeed her as labour minister, and the SPD's full leadership will face re-election at a special party conference by year-end.
• The CDU-SPD coalition under Chancellor Friedrich Merz has been under pressure since losing to the far-right AfD in an eastern German state election last month, with coalition approval low; Reuters said a single minister's resignation is not expected to shake the government, though relations between the parties remain tense despite both sides' statements last week pledging to maintain the coalition.
• SPD co-leader and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil called the attacks on Bas "unacceptable," canceled a trip to India, and his attendance at this week's G20 finance ministers' meeting in Bangkok is uncertain. Five state elections are scheduled next year, which could affect the coalition's ability to pass legislation through the Bundesrat.

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