List of ministers: This is how Friedrich Merz takes revenge on Kai Wegner

Friedrich Merz has not yet been elected Chancellor, his ministers have not yet been appointed, nor have the Ministers of State, nor the State Secretaries. However, lists of very certain, certain, and likely names have long been circulating. And these names have one thing in common: none of them are from Berlin. And that could have something to do with the difficult relationship between the future Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and Berlin's Governing Mayor, Kai Wegner (both CDU).

It wasn't so long ago that Berlin politically influenced federal policy at least in part. In Angela Merkel's last cabinet, two Berlin women held top positions: Minister of State for Culture Monika Grütters (CDU) and Federal Minister for Family Affairs Franziska Giffey (SPD). In the "traffic light" coalition , Lisa Paus (Greens) was responsible for the departments of Family, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth. There were also state secretaries, such as the current Social Affairs Senator Cansel Kiziltepe (SPD), in the Ministry of Construction.

Of course, Kevin Kühnert's influence and power as General Secretary of the SPD should not be underestimated. Mario Czaja, in the same role in the CDU, had a smaller footprint before Friedrich Merz ousted him.

And now? It's clear that the CSU is recruiting its three ministers from Bavaria, and it will likely do the same with its state secretaries. The CDU can appoint seven ministers, and none of them are from Berlin. This also applies to the previously announced ministers and state secretaries.

Merz and Wegner have been feuding for years, now Merz is taking revenge

The leaders of the state parties usually advocate for strong regional representation. Kai Wegner, as chairman of the Berlin CDU, likely did the same, although there is no record of him being particularly forceful about it. It's equally conceivable, however, that Friedrich Merz gave him the cold shoulder.

The years-long feud between the two remains unforgettable, earning Wegner the reputation of Merz's harshest critic in the CDU/CSU. He became the anti-Merz. Wegner resented Merz's sudden decision to nominate Jens Spahn as the top candidate for the Red City Hall shortly before the Berlin repeat election, rather than himself.

After that, Wegner repeatedly attacked Merz. The dispute over the debt brake escalated, in particular. As head of government of a federal state that was financially stretched to its limits, Wegner sharply criticized the then opposition leader Merz's mantra-like adherence to the debt brake. Wegner asked rhetorically: How could anyone possibly do such a good job of governing?

Now, as we all know, everything is different: Friedrich Merz himself is barely on the verge of assuming government responsibility for the first time when he opens the floodgates and organizes a trillion euros for himself and the nation. And quite incidentally, as the CDU's government list also reveals, Merz has cold-bloodedly taken revenge on Wegner.

Günther-Wünsch, Badenberg, Chialo: Probably no Berliner will make it into the cabinet

Either way, the result is no feather in the cap for the CDU , which is stronger in Berlin than it has been for a long time, even if it has weakened in recent polls: the recently traded Senate members Katharina Günther-Wünsch (Education), Felor Badenberg (Justice) and Joe Chialo (Culture) are now not in the running.

The reasons are varied. Günther-Wünsch, who is also highly regarded in other parties, catapulted herself out of any speculation by declaring that she absolutely wanted to remain in the Berlin Senate. At the side of her partner Wegner, so to speak.

The move of the rather inconspicuous and remarkably insecure Badenberg to the federal government became obsolete at the latest when the CDU left the justice department to the SPD.

Joe Chialo remained. Until recently, he was considered for the position of Minister of State for Culture; after all, the political career changer was once part of the team of experts under chancellor candidate Armin Laschet. When Laschet's election failed, Chialo moved to the Berlin Senate. He then felt the full force of politics, especially during the disputes over an anti-Semitism clause and, above all, during the budget negotiations. Recently, large parts of the capital's cultural sector seemed happy to see Chialo off the hook for the federal government. Too soon to celebrate!

SPD: There is little room next to the strong men from Lower Saxony

So, the focus is on the SPD, which, like the CDU, has seven ministerial posts to fill in the future federal government. Assuming a successful vote among its members, the Social Democrats plan to present their team in the coming days before Merz is elected chancellor by the Bundestag on Tuesday.

Party leader Lars Klingbeil, who as future Vice Chancellor will have first access to the key finance portfolio, and Boris Pistorius as Defense Minister are considered certain to be certain. There's little room next to the two strong men from Lower Saxony.

On Monday, rumors circulated that Michael Müller would take one of these few seats. Seriously? The former Governing Mayor himself remains silent—so others are speaking. To sum it up: Hardly anyone in his party in Berlin believes that Müller, who was dismissed by his own people at home ("too white, too old, too right-wing"), could become the new Federal Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Construction, succeeding the hapless Potsdamer Klara Geywitz.

Carsten Schneider, who has spent 27 of his 49 years in the Bundestag, is repeatedly mentioned for the ministry remaining with the SPD. The former Commissioner for Eastern Europe from Erfurt could become the second East German in the seven-member SPD cabinet alongside the possible new Minister of Justice Sonja Eichwede from Brandenburg—admittedly with the stigma of being born and raised in Bremen.

“Ban on lying”: This is how Sonja Eichwede wants to take action against hate messages

Judge Eichwede recently attracted attention online when, in a video from last year, she called for people to report hate messages, saying they were a criminal offense. This could indicate that, as the future Minister of Justice, she will focus on precisely this issue. The future federal government has been sharply criticized, particularly for the section of the coalition agreement that calls for the establishment of a media oversight agency to combat fake news. This, critics say, would introduce a "ban on lying."

And what about Michael Müller? He recently withdrew himself from any race for another political position. The 60-year-old told BZ readers, referring to his 55-year-old partner Reyhan Sahin, the newly elected co-chair of the SPD Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf: "I'm a political retiree. She's the future."

At most, it's conceivable that one or two SPD state secretary positions might go to the capital. However, this isn't very likely – and, to be honest, no one is pushing for it in the traditionally self-absorbed Berlin regional association. Thus, the immediate future of German politics will likely have to unfold its magic without Berlin's involvement.