institute of europe
the institute of europe of the russian academy of sciences
Analytical paper IE RAS No 32, 2026 «Friedrich Merz’s Personnel Reconfiguration: A Bid to Accelerate Reforms»
- 29 July 2026
IE RAS presents Analytical papers of IE RAS No 32, 2026 «Friedrich Merz’s Personnel Reconfiguration: A Bid to Accelerate Reforms» (in Russian) by Vladislav Belov, Candidate of Sciences (Economics), Board Member, Head of the Department for Countries Studies, Head of the Center for German Studies, Institute of Europe (RAS).
At the end of July 2026, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced a major set of appointments affecting the CDU leadership, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group and the Federal Government. The immediate trigger was Jens Spahn’s resignation as parliamentary group chairman, but the decisions went far beyond the replacement of a single politician. The author examines the political and economic motives behind these decisions and their implications for the implementation of reforms and the development of Germany’s economic and political space.
