German Transport Minister Volker Wissing said on Thursday that he plans to remain in office despite the break-up of Germany’s coalition government and is leaving his Free Democratic Party (FDP).
At the same time, dpa learnt that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has named Jörg Kukies, his former economic adviser, to succeed the dismissed finance minister, Christian Lindner.
Scholz fired Lindner, the leader of the pro-business FDP, and called for a January 15 vote of confidence in parliament that could trigger early elections.
The FDP subsequently withdrew all its ministers from government, in effect bringing the governing three-way coalition to an end.
