Germany's labour minister and co-leader of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), Bärbel Bas, has quit both posts, citing the death of her stepdaughter and subsequent political attacks against her, in a stinging blow to the fragile coalition government.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Bas said: "After my stepdaughter's death, I realised that I need time to come to terms with my grief." She explicitly blamed public broadsides as she grappled with the family tragedy, "unfortunately also from among the ranks of the coalition partner [Merz's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU)]", saying the attacks "continued to intensify during this difficult time for me personally".
Some CDU lawmakers had criticised Bas's absences during a crunch phase of an economic reform drive seen as crucial to the teetering government's survival, although it was widely known she had experienced a death in her immediate family.
Her SPD co-leader, Lars Klingbeil, who is also Merz's vice-chancellor and finance minister, expressed regret at her departure and called the sniping against her while she was mourning "indecent". Klingbeil cancelled a planned trip to India to deal with the fallout and complained about a degradation of the national political discourse. "We are competitors, and we need a culture of debate. But we also need a culture of mutual respect," he told reporters.
Merz, who has been fighting for his political survival after three disastrous state elections for the CDU last month, thanked Bas for "cooperation based on trust" in government and offered his condolences. "As a father and grandfather, I can only imagine how deeply felt this loss is for you. I wish you and your family strength," he wrote on X.
Alice Weidel, co-leader of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), also gave Bas her sympathies but said her angry words towards the CDU demonstrated that Merz's coalition "is at its end". "We need a fresh start for Germany," she added. The AfD is leading national opinion polls at about 30 percent after a strong showing in September's regional elections, which also delivered gains for the hard left.
Bas, who will remain an MP for Duisburg in the former Ruhr mining region, is a former president of the Bundestag and one of the SPD's most experienced members. Her ministry oversees large parts of Germany's costly social welfare system, which Merz has targeted for cuts. Although a representative of the party's left wing, she was widely seen as a constructive team player able to bridge the ideological policy disputes that have plagued the coalition since its inception in May 2025. Her absence will now be keenly felt.