'On 7 November 1989, the entire Cabinet of the East German government, the 44-member Council of Ministers, led by Prime Minister Willi Stoph, resigned as a consequence of the political upheaval caused by the mass exodus of citizens via the Hungarian and Czechoslovakian borders and the ongoing protests.[54] The Politburo of the SED remained the real holders of political power.[55] Over 200,000 members of the SED had left the party during the previous 2 months.