Government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius has indirectly confirmed that Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has issued an internal warning against making political demands of the federal government through interviews with “Bild” newspaper.
Responding to inquiries from the dts news agency on Wednesday, Kornelius stated that the Chancellor’s comments were made within a closed circle, emphasizing that he had not publicly expressed them and therefore declined to offer further details on the matter.
The “Bild” newspaper reported in Tuesday’s edition that the Chancellor had instructed members of his party to refrain from speaking to the publication if they wished their demands to be addressed. Several representatives from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group reportedly indicated that the statement was primarily directed at the state premiers of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hendrik Wüst and Hesse, Boris Rhein – both CDU members. Both premiers had recently used “Bild” newspaper to publicly advocate for a reduction in electricity taxes for all, echoing an initial agreement outlined in the governing coalition contract.