(L-R) German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Reem Alabali-Radovan, German Minister for Research, Technology and Aerospace Dorothee Baer, German Minister for Labour and Social Affairs Baerbel Bas, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, German Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Chief of Staff and Minister for Special Tasks Thorsten Frei sit at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, on June 24, 2026. (Photo by RALF HIRSCHBERGER / AFP via Getty Images)