Opposition politicians also said that the spy chief was irresponsibly downplaying the Chemnitz unrest, which made headlines around the world. Now the SPD have agreed to a meeting with the coalition partners the CDU and the CSU to clarify Maaßen’s future. Die Welt reported that Merkel has decided that the spy chief overstepped his authority by weighing into the world of daily politics. The dispute over the spy chief has led to renewed speculation that the coalition government could be on the point of collapse. The SPD had initially been reluctant to join another Merkel coalition after taking a hammering at the polls in last September’s national election.

Source: The Local September 17, 2018 08:56 UTC