Overview
- At a dpa editors’ conference, Chancellor Friedrich Merz gave his cabinet a grade of 3, calling it “satisfactory with a positive outlook.”
- Merz refused to assign himself a personal grade for the government’s first year.
- He cited the botched first ballot in the May 6, 2025 chancellor vote as his toughest moment but noted he won in the second round.
- He described his re-election as CDU leader with 91.2 percent last Friday as a reassuring endorsement.
- Merz said governing has been demanding and challenging, while noting that some things are going quite well as the CDU-SPD coalition marks a year since the election.