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Friedrich Merz appoints Christina Ramb as department head in chancellor's office
Chancellor Friedrich Merz continued his personnel reshuffle by appointing jurist Christina Ramb as the new head of the Department for Social, Health, Labour, Environment and Society Policy in the chancellor’s office. Her predecessor, Gesa Miehe‑Nordmeyer, will retire on 1 September after almost eight years in the role.
The reshuffle also saw former health minister Nina Warken replaced as chancellor‑office chief by Thorsten Frei, who was elected parliamentary group leader, and former sports state minister Christiane Schenderlein moved to the health ministry as parliamentary state secretary. The chancellor’s office now has seven department heads who serve as his senior advisers.
Public reaction was mixed. A ZDF Polit‑Barometer found 55 % of respondents approved of the personnel changes, while 57 % thought Merz handled the reshuffle poorly and 70 % rated his overall performance as rather poor.
Entities
Alternative for Germany (AfD) · Carsten Linnemann · Christian Democratic Union (CDU) · Christina Ramb · Friedrich Merz · German chancellor’s office · German federal election 2026 · Germany · Gesa Miehe‑Nordmeyer · Markus Söder · Mercedes‑Benz workers · Mercedes‑Benz workers (representative Jose‑Miguel Revilla)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The same CDU leaders demand affordable care for low‑income retirees and reject higher cost‑sharing proposals.
- [● 6 SOURCES] Friedrich Merz dismissed Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder. www.e15.cz · www.kreiszeitung.de
- [● 5 SOURCES] East German CDU leaders Sven Schulze, Mario Voigt and Michael Kretschmer oppose ending the pension entitlement after 45 contribution years. www.kreiszeitung.de
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Only 17% of respondents think the personnel changes will improve government performance. www.presseportal.de
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 55 % of respondents approve of the cabinet personnel changes. www.presseportal.de
- [○ 1 SOURCE] AfD is projected to be the strongest party in upcoming polls, surpassing the CDU/CSU. www.presseportal.de
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 68 % of respondents view the government's work as rather poor. www.presseportal.de
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 70 % of respondents rate Chancellor Merz as rather poor. www.presseportal.de
- [● 2 SOURCES] AfD leads in the latest poll projections ahead of the CDU. www.presseportal.de · www.merkur.de
- [● 2 SOURCES] CSU leader Markus Söder publicly criticised Merz’s cabinet reshuffle. www.mannheim24.de
- [● 2 SOURCES] Carsten Linnemann was appointed as health minister in the reshuffle. www.presseportal.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] 70 % of respondents rated Chancellor Merz’s performance as rather poor. www.presseportal.de · www.merkur.de