German Labour Minister Bärbel Bas resigns as SPD co‑chair, citing personal loss and political pressure
Bärbel Bas, Germany’s federal labour minister and co‑leader of the Social Democratic Party, announced her immediate resignation on Monday, October 12, 2026, saying the death of her stepdaughter and sustained attacks within the governing coalition made continuation untenable. The move raises questions about stability in Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition and who will lead the SPD into upcoming negotiations on labour and pension reforms.