German Cabinet Meeting Cancelled as Chancellor Merz Goes on Vacation

The regular Wednesday cabinet meeting of the German federal government, normally held at 10 a.m., will not take place on 5 August. The cancellation was confirmed by the dts news agency in Berlin, and no substitute date has been announced.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz is heading into a short vacation after a hectic week that included a cabinet reshuffle and a special session of the Union parliamentary group. Government spokesperson Steffen Kornelius told reporters the chancellor will have "ein paar freie Tage" and will conduct his duties "von dort aus die Amtsgeschäfte führen", emphasizing that he remains "stets im Dienst".

A summer cabinet schedule has been prepared, allowing the deputy chancellor and finance minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) to chair meetings if necessary, but Kornelius indicated that this will not happen next week.