German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has appointed Jörg Kukies as the new Finance Minister, succeeding Christian Lindner.
Transport Minister Volker Wissing will remain in the government but is stepping down from the Free Democratic Party (FDP).
On Thursday, Chancellor Scholz announced the appointment of Kukies, his former economic advisor and current state secretary for finance, as Lindner’s replacement, as reported by DPA. The decision to dismiss Lindner, who also leads the FDP, prompted the party to announce the withdrawal of all its ministers from the three-party “traffic light” coalition.
However, Transport Minister Volker Wissing partially contradicted the party’s statement, announcing that he would remain in his post while leaving the FDP. “By choosing to stay in government, I don’t want to be a burden on my party, so today I informed Christian Lindner of my decision to leave the FDP,” Wissing explained.
He further clarified that he would “remain committed to the FDP’s core values” and would not join any other party, calling it “a personal decision reflecting my sense of responsibility. I want to stay true to myself,” he added.
