Federal politics: Now live: Klingbeil calls attacks against Bas “indecent” and calls for “respect” in politics

Tim Seckel

Now live: SPD leader Klingbeil appears in front of the press after Bas's resignation

Lara Dehari

Klingbeil: “I am very sad about this step”

Lars Klingbeil, SPD party leader and finance minister, speaks at a press conference about the resignation of his co-boss and former labor minister. She submitted her resignation from both positions this morning. “I want to tell you openly that today is not an easy day for me,” says Klingbeil. He was informed by her on Saturday. “I am very sad about this step.”

Alisa Svoboda

Noise “shocked and saddened” by attacks on Bas from Union

The Berlin SPD state chairman Steffen Krach criticized the Union's behavior after the resignation of party leader Bärbel Bas. “Bärbel Bas deserves our sincere respect and thanks, and above all I wish her a lot of strength now,” Krach told the German Press Agency in Berlin. “It makes me dismayed and sad that she was attacked in such a way by her coalition partner during this personally difficult time.”

Bas had announced her immediate resignation as Labor Minister and SPD leader that morning. She justified this on the one hand with the death of her stepdaughter, and on the other hand with public attacks on herself, including from the ranks of her coalition partner, the Union.

Krach emphasized: "Despite all the political differences, we must never forget that behind every political office there is a person. And we should always pay attention to that when dealing with one another."

Tim Seckel

Schwesig calls attacks against Bas “inhumane”

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig sharply criticized the Union's behavior after the resignation of SPD leader Bärbel Bas. "My condolences go out to Bärbel Bas," the SPD state leader wrote on platform

Tim Seckel

Roloff: Attacks also came from Union leaders

The attacks against Bas apparently also came from the highest levels of the Union. This is how Sebastian Roloff, head of the Bavarian SPD, puts it. “If the coalition wants to be successful, questions about cooperation will also arise,” Roloff told Handelsblatt. “There can be no more attacks within the government, like those that have come against Bärbel Bas in the last few weeks from the top of the CDU.”

Alisa Svoboda

Wadephul acknowledges Bas – no impact on coalition

Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul personally paid tribute to Bärbel Bas after her decision to resign as SPD leader and labor minister, but does not see any impact on the work of the coalition. His thoughts are with Bas, “because she is really a very fine person who we will certainly miss in the coalition,” said the CDU politician when arriving for the second day of a retreat by the CDU leadership on the series of serious defeats in the state elections in September.

“Of course this means nothing for the coalition,” said Wadephul, adding: “We have a task to fulfill here for four years.” At this time, everyone feels that Germany and Europe need stability. “That’s what this coalition stands for.” The SPD will discuss Bas's successor calmly and carefully. "But the work must continue. Germany needs a government capable of acting. Europe needs a Germany capable of acting," said Wadephul.

Wadephul said Bas carried out her work at the Ministry of Labor “with a lot of empathy and also expertise”. In politics, one should always remember that people hold these positions. When Bas says that she is in a situation where she is overwhelmed, one has to respect this, understand her sadness “and also take into account that these positions demand a lot from all of us.” This is often forgotten in everyday working life.

Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul Reuters

Tim Seckel

Merz thanks Bas and pays her respect

In an initial reaction via X-Post, the Chancellor responded to Bärbel Bas's resignation. He worked with her “in a spirit of trust” and respected her decision. He wrote nothing about the attacks against her from the Union, which Bas had criticized in her resignation declaration.

The CDU leadership will appear before the press after today's executive committee meeting at 1:30 p.m.

Alisa Svoboda

Bas resigns as party leader and minister

Bärbel Bas resigns as Labor Minister and SPD leader. She justified the step in a public statement with the death of her stepdaughter and with public attacks on herself, including from the ranks of her coalition partner, the Union.

Lara Dehari

Klüssendorf: Red-Green-Red in Berlin “not a sure-fire success”

SPD General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf has doubts as to whether a red-green-red coalition will really come into being in Berlin. “I still have concerns as to whether the left in Berlin is actually able to contain the forces that in some places are exclusively activists and, for example, question Israel’s right to exist,” Klüssendorf told the “taz”. A red-green-red coalition is “not a sure-fire success”. Basically, progressive coalition options are needed again.

Felicitas Dahmen

Miersch: Involve parliamentary groups and states in pension reform

In the coalition dispute over pension reform, SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch also wants to involve the parliamentary groups and state heads of government in order to resolve blockades. “The idea is to involve the parliamentary groups and possibly also the prime ministers in the process before there is a cabinet decision,” Miersch told “Zeit”.

“We’ve already done that with other laws, and I think that’s the right thing to do here,” he added. “The exact form of organization would have to be discussed, and in any case the parliamentary groups would have to be involved,” warned the parliamentary group leader.

Jana Brüntjen

Seehofer attests Merz “massive loss of credibility”

Former CSU leader Horst Seehofer criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and called for an urgent course correction. "Friedrich Merz has suffered a massive loss of credibility by breaking election promises. The immediate program of the CDU and CSU promised, first and foremost, a reduction in electricity taxes for everyone - nothing happened," Seehofer told "Bild am Sonntag".

He particularly harshly condemned Merz's statements about work ethic in Germany: "Statements that Germans work too little and celebrate sick too much hurt people. What are you saying to a nurse who already works weekend and night shifts?" asked Seehofer. “At Audi, I see employees who would like to work more but are offered termination agreements instead.”

This blanket language completely misses reality. Horst Seehofer

Vivian Melchert

Merz rejects new proposal for EU financial plan

The federal government rejects the new proposal for the next long-term EU budget as unacceptable. “The amount of the new proposal is not a basis for an agreement,” said Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin. The EU budget must be affordable for those who bear the brunt of the financing. Everyone must contribute to the necessary adjustments, because prioritizing and modernizing the spending of the EU budget is a task for everyone.

Vivian Melchert

Business association expects Trump's diesel deal to have little impact on prices in Germany

The Fuels and Energy trade association does not expect the diesel deal with Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin announced by US President Donald Trump to have any major impact on prices at German gas stations. “There has been a ban on the import of Russian diesel into the EU since February 5, 2023. It remains that way,” said a spokesman. “In view of the volumes agreed according to the reports, we do not expect any significant impact on the global market and prices.”

Data from the fuel price portal Tankerkönig also showed no major fluctuations until Saturday afternoon. Before and after the usual jump at lunchtime, the price of diesel - and also premium petrol - was very close to the values ​​at the same time on Friday.

Vivian Melchert

Federal government on Trump's diesel deal: No oil from Russia

In response to a diesel agreement between US President Donald Trump and Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, the federal government is emphasizing its full adherence to the Russia sanctions. “The federal government is sticking to the sanctions decisions against Russia and is working with its European partners on further sanctions,” emphasized government spokesman Stefan Kornelius in Berlin. “Ukraine’s support in its defensive battle remains unbroken.”

A spokeswoman for Federal Economics Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU) said in Berlin: “Germany fully supports the sanctions packages.” Russian oil and crude oil products have been sanctioned by the EU since 2023. Since then, Germany has not purchased any oil or oil products from Russia. “Our supply here is diversified, we are independent of Russian oil,” said the spokeswoman. Security of supply has been guaranteed since then.

After a conversation with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump announced an agreement to deliver hundreds of thousands of tons of diesel from Russia. The USA wants to temporarily lift sanctions against Russian diesel. The Kremlin confirmed the deal. Kornelius said: “The federal government has taken note of the US decision regarding Russian diesel deliveries.” Reich's spokeswoman made a corresponding statement. However, their position and that of their European partners regarding the sanctions are clear. “The diplomatic work on a peace solution will continue,” Kornelius continued.

Lara Dehari

Merz “deeply outraged” by Schröder at Putin

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) reacted “deeply outraged” to former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s participation in a birthday party for President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. “Putin alone is responsible for the war in Ukraine,” said deputy government spokesman Steffen Meyer in Berlin. Putin's orders caused "immeasurable suffering, civilian casualties, families torn apart, dead and wounded" every day. “Against this background, the Chancellor finds it downright immoral that Mr. Schröder is celebrating with Mr. Putin on such a day.”

Putin and Schröder have a long friendship (archive photo from 2004) Holger Hollemann dpa

Felicitas Dahmen

Prien calls for CDU MPs who vote with the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt to be excluded from the party

The deputy CDU leader Karin Prien has called for the exclusion of CDU MPs in Saxony-Anhalt who may have voted for the AfD state parliament president Tobias Rausch. "We don't know who elected the AfD state parliament president in a secret ballot. But if it turns out that they were also CDU politicians, then there must be consequences for them," the Federal Family and Education Minister told the Reuters news agency in an interview published on Friday.

This also applies to the expected election of an AfD prime minister in December. “The AfD is a right-wing extremist party and it has set out to destroy the CDU,” emphasized Prien.

Eva Glaser

Nursing care insurance gets new financial help

The federal government is protecting long-term care insurance with additional financial assistance until the end of the year. The Bundestag's budget committee approved a loan of up to 700 million euros as over-plan expenditure, as the Ministry of Health announced upon request in Berlin. In the remaining months, this will be used to make up for any missing money needed to carry out the nursing care insurance tasks as needed.

The financial woes of nursing care insurance had recently worsened. The umbrella association of statutory health insurance companies, which also represents the nursing care insurance funds, announced at the end of August that there would probably no longer be enough income in October to fully finance the care services. There are already 3.2 billion euros in loans for long-term care insurance coming from the federal budget for this year, but they are not enough. In order to stabilize finances for 2027, the cabinet has just launched legislative plans from Health Minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU). A commission is to develop proposals for a second major structural reform.

Eva Glaser

Reiche: There is no market incentive to store gas

Federal Minister of Economics Katherina Reiche has defended the government's instructions to the energy company Sefe to procure additional gas. “The market does not provide the incentive to store now,” said the CDU politician on Thursday, explaining the reasons. Gas prices are currently higher than in the next quarter. Although the storage facilities are over 80 percent pre-booked, these reservations are not fulfilled by feed-ins. That's why we had to help.

Reiche had ordered the nationalized energy company Sefe to store more gas. Reiche confirmed that the order was placed in consultation with Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz. In addition, the market area manager Trading Hub Europe (THE) has put out so-called long-term options to secure gas volumes for the end of winter. The energy company Uniper has also increased its supply on the market.

Sabrina Frangos

Coalition committee ended – No details

The leaders of the CDU, CSU and SPD ended the coalition committee after around four and a half hours of deliberations. Details were initially not known on Wednesday evening. However, participants said that the discussions took place in a good atmosphere. People have spoken out, including about the results of the state elections. There was also discussion about the timetable for implementing the agreed reforms. The government factions are to be informed on Thursday. It had already been emphasized that no new decisions would be made.

Vivian Melchert

SPD ends initiative for non-partisan government

After the election of AfD MP Tobias Rausch as President of the State Parliament of Saxony-Anhalt, the SPD does not want to invite people again to talks about a non-partisan government. The party said that events since the state parliament's inaugural session on Tuesday had removed the basis for such an attempt.

The SPD, Greens, Left and BSW had an initial exchange about one at the end of September