Long-serving Lower Saxony state premier Stephan Weil is set to resign in May, according to multiple German media reports.
The 66-year-old Social Democrat (SPD) has led the northern German region since 2013, wielding significant influence over Volkswagen through the state’s 11.8% stake and special veto powers.
Weil’s reported decision comes as his SPD party negotiates a potential national coalition with Friedrich Merz’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc. Lower Saxony, home to automotive giant Volkswagen, holds outsized corporate clout due to a unique law granting it a blocking minority despite owning less than 12% of shares.
With state elections not due until autumn 2027, Weil’s exit could trigger an earlier leadership contest within the SPD. The move marks the end of an era for a politician who shaped industrial policy in Germany’s second-largest state by area, a key player in the country’s energy transition and automotive sector.
The transition coincides with high-stakes negotiations over Volkswagen’s future direction, where Lower Saxony’s votes have repeatedly swayed decisions on electrification and labour policies.
