Germany's New Coalition Government: Who's Stepping Up to Lead
Union delivers Ministers' conference - CDU endorses coalition pact
By Bob and Sasha
Berlin/Munich - The CDU and CSU have taken a significant step towards forming a government with the SPD: On Monday, the CDU's small party conference approved the coalition agreement with a massive majority.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz and CSU chairman Markus Söder presented the candidates for the planned black-red government, which included some surprises. Former Brandenburg MP Katherina Reiche is poised to become Economics Minister, deputy CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader Johann Wadephul is set to be Foreign Minister, and the CEO of Ceconomy AG, Karsten Wildberger, is due to head the new Digital Ministry. As expected, former CSU parliamentary group leader Alexander Dobrindt is to become the new Interior Minister. Business reactions were primarily positive.
Patrick Schnieder, a CDU MP, is slated to become the Transport Minister. CDU politician Nina Warken from Baden-Württemberg is to become Health Minister, and Schleswig-Holstein's Education Minister Karin Prien is to take over the expanded Education and Family Ministry. Merz also plans to bring in three state ministers to the Chancellery: Michael Meister (Federal-Länder cooperation), Christiane Schenderlein (Sport and Volunteering), and publisher Wolfram Weimer (Culture and Media).
In Munich, Söder presented the three CSU ministers. Alongside Dobrindt as Interior Minister, CSU's nominees include the former CDU/CSU parliamentary vice-president Dorothee Bär as Research Minister and, surprisingly, Lower Bavarian MP and master butcher Alois Rainer as Federal Agriculture Minister. By May 5, the SPD will announce its cabinet members following the members' decision on April 30. Merz is expected to be elected Chancellor by the Bundestag on May 6.
The Union also made decisions about the future Bundestag faction: Merz suggested the current deputy parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn as his successor at the head of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. Alexander Hoffmann is set to succeed Dobrindt as CSU parliamentary group leader.
BLACK-RED GOVERNMENT'S CABINET
The approval of the coalition agreement by the CDU federal committee was initially considered a foregone conclusion. Merz advocated for a 'yes' vote before the vote and announced a tougher migration policy from "day one" of his government. "We can recommend this coalition agreement with a clear conscience," he said, understanding the criticism within the party about the relaxation of the debt brake but arguing that it was necessary due to the international situation. He pointed out that a coalition with the SPD was the only mathematical possibility for a center-party alliance after the Bundestag election. Therefore, the government must now prove that it can solve the problems. The Union has ruled out a coalition with the AfD, the likely second-largest faction in the Bundestag. Merz, thus, spoke of an "working coalition" with the SPD.
POSITIVE (AND NEGATIVE) REACTIONS
Economic and political figures reacted predominantly positively. The appointment of an "experienced energy manager" and politician as the new Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy is a significant signal," said BDI CEO Tanja Gönner. "It's positive that Merz is bringing in external experts with a lot of expertise into the cabinet. That could pay off," said Düsseldorf professor of international economics Jens Südekum to Reuters. Support also came from energy associations. DIHK President Peter Adrian called for close cooperation between the new minister and the economy on Monday.
Sharp criticism, however, came from the Left and the AfD. "A Media-Markt CEO, a former Springer editor-in-chief, and a nuclear power enthusiast - the CDU is taking the country back in time," said Left co-chair Jan van Aken to the Augsburger Allgemeinen, speaking of a "horror cabinet." The AfD's health policy spokesman, Martin Sichert, criticized the nomination of Warken as an "ignoring" of health policy. Warken negotiated the issues of interior, law, migration, and integration during the coalition talks.
(Contribution: Christian Krämer, Rene Wagner, Hakan Ersen, Holger Hansen, edited by Christian Rüttger. For further questions, please contact our editorial team at [email protected])
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- The CDU's small party conference approved the coalition agreement with a significant majority, paving the way for a potential black-red government led by Friedrich Merz and Markus Söder.
- Notable appointments in the proposed black-red government include Katherina Reiche as Economics Minister, Johann Wadephul as Foreign Minister, and Karsten Wildberger as the head of the new Digital Ministry.
- The general news will closely follow the reactions to the black-red government's cabinet, with economic figures, such as BDI CEO Tanja Gönner, expressing positive sentiments about the appointments.
- Politicians from the Left and the AfD, however, have expressed criticism and concern about the cabinet, with Jan van Aken of the Left calling it a "horror cabinet," while Martin Sichert of the AfD criticized the nomination of Nina Warken as an "ignoring" of health policy.
