German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced the first personnel changes in the government and said that further reshuffles would follow.

Head of the Federal Chancellery Thorsten Frei will be replaced by Health Minister Nina Warken, who will become the first woman to lead the office. Frei, in turn, will take over as head of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, replacing Jens Spahn, who has resigned.

CDU Secretary General Carsten Linnemann will become Germany’s new health minister. In addition, the Minister of State for Relations between the Federal Government and the Länder in the Federal Chancellery, Michael Meister, will be replaced by Philipp Amthor, parliamentary state secretary at the Ministry for Digital Affairs.

Merz noted that further changes to the composition of the government would be announced later after the necessary consultations.