Germany in July 2026: the most important developments in politics
German politics in July 2026 was dominated by the standing of Chancellor Friedrich Merz within his own party. On July 18 Jens Spahn resigned as parliamentary leader of the CDU/CSU group after a controversy over his use of a surrogate mother; Merz had urged him to step down. On July 22 Merz and CSU leader Markus Söder agreed to put forward Thorsten Frei as successor. On July 24 Merz reshuffled his cabinet, dismissing Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder and naming Warken head of the Chancellery. CDU members criticised the changes openly, some saying Merz should not run for chancellor again, and the Greens spoke of "salami tactics". Frei was elected group chairman on July 29, a vote widely seen as a test of Merz's authority, and Merz responded with self-criticism.
The second theme was the Alternative for Germany (AfD). At its congress in Erfurt on July 4 the party re-elected Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla as co-leaders, Weidel with a strong mandate and Chrupalla with weaker support, while thousands protested outside. A power struggle in the North Rhine-Westphalia branch followed: state leader Martin Vincentz rejected Weidel's attempts to mediate, and by July 27 the national leadership had opened proceedings against the branch and its head. Polls put the AfD at its highest level yet nationally, the Union at its lowest since 2021, and the AfD at 41 percent in Saxony-Anhalt ahead of the state election there. On July 15 Merz said he would do everything to keep the AfD out of government.
On legislation, the Bundestag passed a heating law and a cost-cutting programme for public health insurance on July 10. The cabinet approved a 2027 budget draft of 555 billion euros on July 6.
Abroad, Russia summoned Germany's ambassador on July 13 and accused Berlin of involvement in Ukrainian strikes, while Merz called for negotiations on ending the war. In Berlin, Mayor Kai Wegner announced on July 10 that he would not seek reelection; Stefan Evers was nominated as the CDU's top candidate.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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