Labor Minister Bas resigns from cabinet and party leadership
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Bärbel Bas, the Federal Minister of Labour and co-leader of the Social Democrats, has resigned from both positions today. Bas cited a family bereavement and the weight of attacks from coalition partners for her departure, following a public reaction noting that her strength for the role has finally gone. She is expected to be replaced by Alexander Schweitzer, who is prepared to move to the capital for the role.
The opposition CDU is currently debating its own purity, with party faction leaders presenting a six-point plan and vowing they will no longer withdraw motions simply to avoid sharing a vote with the AfD. Meanwhile, the CSU leader Markus Söder has suggested that those who deviate from the party line might be better suited to driving Russian cars.
Economic data remains bleak for the industrial sector as Audi reported a sales drop of nearly 20% this quarter. Medium-sized firms trading with Russia are also warning of a cold expropriation as the impact of sanctions and counter-sanctions makes their presence there increasingly untenable.