Söder, Wüst, and Rhein: Three against Merz.

While Friedrich Merz struggles with the weaknesses of his coalition, the state premiers are positioning themselves behind him. Whether it's Hendrik Wüst, Markus Söder, or, more recently, Boris Rhein, they all see the cracks in the chancellery and are positioning themselves for the lead. Gordon Repinski reports on how this power struggle is subtly changing the power dynamics within the CDU/CSU. The coalition committee is meeting tonight. In a 200-second interview: Wolfgang Schmidt, the former Minister for Special Affairs in the Chancellery. He assesses the usefulness of these meetings and raises the fundamental question: Is the problem due to rigid structures or simply the actors involved who can no longer reach an agreement? Rixa Fürsen looks at the "toughest door in Berlin" in the Bundestag. There is dissatisfaction in the committees regarding the procedures at the entrances to the parliament. The Berlin Playbook is available as a podcast every morning from 5 am. Gordon Repinski and the POLITICO team provide political news to listen to – concise, international, and insightful. For all professionals in Berlin: The Berlin Playbook newsletter offers the most important topics and analyses every morning. Subscribe now for free. More from host and POLITICO Executive Editor Gordon Repinski: Instagram: @gordon.repinski | X: @GordonRepinski. POLITICO Deutschland – a product of Axel Springer Deutschland GmbH, Axel-Springer-Straße 65, 10888 Berlin. Tel: +49 (30) 2591 0. [email protected] Registered office: Amtsgericht Berlin-Charlottenburg, HRB 196159 B. VAT ID: DE 214 852 390. Managing Directors: Carolin Hulshoff Pol, Mathias Sanchez Luna.