German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to make his first public appearance in weeks on Saturday with a visit to a forest area razed by a major wildfire.
Merz is heading to the Eifel in western Germany, after a three-week break.
He is travelling to Hürtgen Forest to thank the emergency services on the ground for fighting what state officials called the largest fire in the history of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous.
Merz is to address the emergency workers and is to be briefed on the course of the operation and the situation on the ground, a government spokesman said.
The fire in the Eifel has now been extinguished
A major fire raged for a week in the Eifel during a recent heatwave, before being extinguished on Thursday, the mayor of Hürtgen Forest said. No national lawmakers have yet visited the area, though several members of the state government have travelled to the site, including Premier Hendrik Wüst, who returned early from his holidays to do so.
So far, the chancellor has only thanked the emergency services in a post on X, saying, “Forest fires are raging in many parts of the country. I am being kept constantly informed of developments.” He said, “I would like to thank all the emergency services for their tireless efforts, which often push them to the point of exhaustion.”
Opposition slams Merz for inaction
Opposition lawmakers criticized Merz for doing too little, accusing him of inaction. Green Party parliamentary group leader Katharina Dröge told broadcasters RTL and ntv, “Friedrich Merz seems to be hoping that, while he is on holiday and nobody can see him, nobody will even think that he might be responsible for tackling the consequences of the climate crisis.”
Before the summer recess, Merz faced pressure from within his own party over organizational changes to the government, parliamentary group and party. After a special meeting of his conservative parliamentary group on July 29, he headed off, saying, “Thank you very much, have a lovely holiday.”
Chancellor has three-week break
Merz’s three-week break from official engagements was already planned and had been due to extend until this weekend. The chancellor did not alter his plans, despite criticism from the opposition, but issued occasional statements, either in writing or through government spokespeople.
Merz’s office deliberately avoids referring to the period without scheduled appointments as a holiday, stating that the chancellor ensures he is constantly up-to-date and acts on a case-by-case basis. It noted there was a National Security Council video conference during this period after an explosive-laden drone was discovered at Leipzig Airport.
Heat protection also on agenda
After a series of heatwaves and drought, the issues of climate change and protection during the hot weather are set to be discussed on a Cabinet retreat, but the governing parties may disagree on these questions.
The Social Democrats are calling for an amendment to the Basic Law to better protect people in the heat and from other impacts of climate change. However, Merz’s Christian Democrats and their Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, oppose such a step.