Jörg Kukies, Chancellery State Secretary, will replace Christian Lindner as Germany’s finance minister following the collapse of the ruling coalition on Wednesday night, public broadcaster ARD and several other German publications reported Thursday morning.
Jörg Kukies worked for investment bank Goldman Sachs for several years, then as a state secretary at the German Finance Ministry before moving to the federal chancellor’s office in 2021. He is considered an important economic adviser to Olaf Scholz. Among other things, he negotiated the outcome documents at the G7 and G20 summits on behalf of the Chancellor.
The news that Olaf Scholz had fired Christian Lindner after weeks of wrangling over the government’s economic policy and next year’s budget became known in the evening of November 6. The chancellor explained that the former finance minister had “too often” undermined his confidence and refused to compromise. The basis for co-operation with the Free Democratic Party of Germany (FDP) led by Mr. Lindner is no longer available, Mr. Scholz concluded.
Following this, all FDP ministers – Justice, Education and Transport, Research and Education – left the government. German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck has recognised the collapse of the ruling coalition of the SPD, the Greens and the FDP. Olaf Scholz intends to ask the Bundestag for a vote of confidence in January, after which snap parliamentary elections may be necessary. They could take place by the end of March 2025 – more than six months ahead of schedule.
