Curioses: Harley and Health ring: Smalltalk knowledge about the cabinet

Friedrich Merz (CDU), Chancellor

Before Merz started politics, he said he had a rebellious phase in his youth. Because of a lack of discipline, he had to change school, Merz once told the “Tagesspiegel”. At 14 he had shoulder-length hair, played an electric guitar and raced through his Sauerland hometown Brilon with the motorcycle. “My regular place with two friends was the french fries on our market square around the corner, I started smoking and drinking beer.” However – one of the former school friends partially contradicted the “Spiegel”: Merz had no motorcycle at all, and the french friesenbude only existed for Christmas.

Bärbel Bas (SPD), Minister of Labor and Social Affairs

Bas is a passionate motorcyclist. She does not drive a small machine, but a Harley-Davidson Low Rider S. In her Bundestag office, a picture of her hangs on the motorcycle. And should your Harley be harmed? No problem: BAS can weld. She learned that in a vocational school for technology.

Boris Pistorius (SPD), Minister of Defense

Pistorius learned to defend very early on. Long before he had political ambitions, as a left -back of the Osnabrück workers’ association Schinkel 04, he was responsible for preventing opposing wing attacks. Nickname: “Kamikaze”. Despite his robust style of play, he never collected a red card, Pistorius told the “T-Online” portal.

Dorothee Bär (CSU), research and space minister

Bear is addicted to chili. “I always wear a small spice mill in my handbag and do my chilli everywhere,” she revealed the “world” once. Whether on the bread is unknown. But the bakery trade chose her to the bread ambassador in 2024. And she also has an unusual mix of interests: the Franconian is a hunter and passionate gamer.

Lars Klingbeil (SPD), finance minister

An SPD finance minister with eyebrow piercing? Klingbeil took the look from his youth a long time ago. A radihite of his band “Sleeping Silence” has been back for a long time, but he still has it on his cell phone. And he continues to play guitar. “For me, for me it is like meditation when I play. Then my head empties, I come down,” he once said the “colorful”.

Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), Interior Minister

As Transport Minister, Dobrindt once started an advertising campaign to carry a helmet while cycling. The campaign advertised with the helmet bearer “Darth Vader” known from “Star Wars”. That brought Dobrindt the nickname “Darth Maut” and “Lord Helmchen” in the Bundestag according to “Welt”. Dobrindt has not yet been spotted in the black Vader-Ulang. Instead, his fashionable trademark was a long time suits with large checks. “There is enough small careerness in politics,” he told the “colorful”.

Alois Rainer (CSU), Minister of Agriculture

Rainer is the brother of the former Minister of Health and Bundestag Vice President Gerda Hasselfeldt (CSU). As Bayer, the trained butcher has a heart for traditions. He recently released a white sausage cookbook together with the Junge Union and the CSU Laberweinting. The focus is on the white sausage as a cultural symbol. He already demonstrated that Rainer is serious about it in 2003. At that time, together with colleagues, he shaped the longest white sausage in the world: it measured 825 meters.

Katherina Reiche (CDU), Minister of Economy

As an ex-manager of an energy group, Reiche not only brings experience from the free economy to the cabinet-but also fresh tabloid gloss. The Minister of Economic Affairs is lined up with one of her predecessors: Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. Former Minister of Economics and Defense and his wife at the time were once rejoiced as “German Kennedys”. The new couple could again ensure discussion in the Berlin government district.

Reem Alabali-Radovan (SPD), Minister of Development

If Friedrich Merz should come up with the idea in the course of his chancellorship, to box through cuts in development policy, he should consider it. Because his new development minister is a boxer. And she has no problem asking Chancellor in the ring: with Merz predecessor Olaf Scholz, she was already in the ring of her boxing club “Tractor Schwerin”. However, for an election campaign event, and he did not get a beating, but nice words.

Karsten Wildberger (independent), digital minister

Wildberger is not only Germany’s first digital minister, he also lives digitization in everyday life. On his finger he wears a smart health ring that measures his sleep quality, a smartwatch on the wrist. “I love technology,” said the former MediaMarkt-Saturn boss of the “FAZ”. He is enthusiastic about the algorithms behind it. The minister can then check whether pulse and sleep quality are still good even after long nights in the Ministry.

Patrick Schnieder (CDU), Minister of Transport

With a height of 2.02 meters, the man from the Eifel is presumably the largest member of the federal government. This is why Schnied was jokingly called “Eifel Tower” in the media. A nickname that he confidently took on: his podcast is called “Eiffel Tower Talk”. Once a year, Schnieder runs a marathon, his best time over the 42 kilometers is 3 hours and 27 minutes.

Verena Hubertz (SPD), Minister of Construction

Verena Hubertz made a start-up from a personal weakness. It said in her abiz: “Even if Verena works in the restaurant industry (Burger King), you shouldn’t cook with her.” After completing her studies, Hubertz founded the “Kitchen Stories” app with a fellow student: a digital cookbook with step-by-step videos in order to make beginners cooking as easy as possible. The idea lit: Bosch got in, the start-up was an international success.

Carsten Schneider (SPD), Environment Minister

When Schneider is free, he is drawn to the water, preferably with the fishing rod in his hand. He is a passionate predatory fishing angler and a member of the Association of German Sports Fischer. His fishing photos – for example from a capital pikeperch – also land on Instagram. In the future, pike, perch and pikeperch will move a little more relaxed through East German waters: As a minister, Schneider will probably be on the bank.

Karin Prien (CDU), Minister of Education

Coq Au Riesling with tarragon or rabbit ragout, freshly shot in Schleswig -Holstein – under the hashtag #prienkocht, the Minister of Education regularly gives an insight into her kitchen on platform X, even during the coalition negotiations: after “politically and culinary days” there was Caponata with Burrata, after a “sophisticated, respectful approach” with the SPD Asparagus with Bozner sauce. Prien can also do desserts: “Apple pie very fine, apricoted, as with my grandmother”.

Stefanie Hubig (SPD), Minister of Justice

It brings a special enthusiasm for Asterix and OBELIX booklets to the cabinet. “I can read it as often as you like,” Hubig once told the “Rhein-Zeitung”. However, the lawyer did not reach her picture book career in Gallier-Manner with punching and jump-off, but rather with a cool head. “Sure, I get upset,” said Hubig. But: “I try not to be too impulsive.”

Thorsten Frei (CDU), Minister of Chancellor

Early riser is free. He jogged regularly at 6 a.m., he wrote on Instagram. Only at the end of the coalition negotiations he had to delete his sports program with a heavy heart because the nights were too short, he reported to the Südkurier. He also describes himself as a dog friend and McDonald’s fan.

Johann WadePhul (CDU), Foreign Minister

The Schleswig-Holsteiner combines North German sobriety with a soft spot for southern European longing: Vacation likes to make Wadephul in Rome, Florence or on Lake Garda. And he also likes opposites musically: he loves Bach and Beethoven, but also the skirt of the “Scorpions”.

Nina Warken (CDU), Minister of Health

She is a tennis player and knows what to do in an emergency: Warking has gone through the basic training at the technical relief organization and was President of the THW state association Baden-Württemberg for eight years.