On May 12, 2025, Bärbel Bas announced that she was stepping down from both her role as Germany’s Federal Minister of Labor and her position as a leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). The decision follows the death of her stepdaughter and intense political criticism from both opposition parties and members of her own party. The combination of private grief and public pressure led her to conclude that she could no longer fulfill the duties of the two offices.
Bas’s departure comes as Chancellor Friedrich Merz leads the federal government. The announcement was described as adding instability to the governing coalition.
In response to the vacancy, the government appointed Alexander Schweitzer as the new Federal Minister of Labor. Schweitzer had previously served as the Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate.
Schweitzer had previously served as the Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate.
He moved from state leadership to a federal cabinet position. During his term as Minister-President, he led the state government.
At the time of his appointment, Alexander Schweitzer was 53 years old.
Schweitzer’s term as Minister-President began in 2024 and concluded in 2026.
On October 12, 2026, the CDU leadership held a two‑day retreat.