Bundestag President Julia Klöckner has criticized her party colleague, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, for the frequent absences of federal ministers from parliamentary sessions.
In a letter to the chancellery, Klöckner expressed concern that ministers in Merz’s government are too often missing from sessions of the parliamentary body.
“In the first weeks of the new legislative session, I have observed with concern that the government bench in plenary sessions is sometimes empty,” she noted. Klöckner emphasized that the “proper and consistent presence of the government” in Bundestag sessions is “extremely important” for productive debate and constructive cooperation between the executive and legislative branches.
“Therefore, I must request that appropriate measures be taken to ensure the continuous and effective representation of the federal government at Bundestag sessions,” the speaker stressed.
As Bild notes, Julia Klöckner and Friedrich Merz have a long-standing professional relationship. It was Merz who nominated her for the position of Bundestag President.
