World
German Cabinet Reshuffle: Linnemann to Health Ministry, Warken First Woman at Chancellery's Office
Friedrich Merz, Federal Chancellor and head of the German government, reshuffled his cabinet on July 24, 2026, following Jens Spahn's forced departure from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group presidency. Carsten Linnemann, an economist and former CDU General Secretary who is a close ally of Merz, becomes Federal Health Minister. Nina Warken, the outgoing Health Minister, takes the helm of the Federal Chancellery's Office—making her the first woman to hold this position. Thorsten Frei, who previously headed the Federal Chancellery's Office, now leads the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag.