Overview
- During a visit to devastated Harasta near Damascus, Johann Wadephul said many Syrians could not "live with dignity" or return in the short term.
- Junge Union figures and some CDU/CSU lawmakers questioned his suitability, with Hesse JU leader Lukas Brandscheid urging him to consider whether he should remain in office.
- In a parliamentary group meeting, Wadephul reportedly likened conditions in parts of Syria to Germany in 1945, a comparison the chancellery said Chancellor Friedrich Merz does not adopt.
- Government spokesman Stefan Kornelius affirmed the chancellor's support for Wadephul and framed the minister's remarks as relating to voluntary returns, while SPD voices also defended him.
- Media speculation listed possible successors such as Jens Spahn, David McAllister, Jürgen Hardt and Norbert Röttgen, though multiple reports indicated insiders do not expect an imminent dismissal.