(NEW: with a choice of Spahn to the Union faction leader)
Berlin (dpa-AfX)-Now the new black-red coalition only has to hurry to get started: the election of CDU boss Friedrich Merz as Chancellor on Tuesday. Just one day before, the SPD set the last course for the change of power by naming its staff for the government team.
The Social Democrats want to send four women and three men to the cabinet, which is to be appointed and sworn in on Tuesday. The Social Democrats are led in the government of Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil, who is also party leader. The controversial co-chair Saskia Esken, on the other hand, went away empty-handed.
After the last personnel decisions, the chairpersons of the Union and the SPD signed the coalition agreement with the title “Responsibility for Germany” as the basis for their government work. Merz announced that the coalition wanted to “rule our country powerfully, planned, trustworthy” from tomorrow. Klingbeil explained: “Germany has everything it needs. Now it takes a government that makes something of it.”
Only one SPD minister remains in office
In addition to Merz, the 47-year-old climbs the most powerful man and takes over the Ministry of Finance as Vice Chancellor. In addition to him, the SPD brings four women and two men to the closer government team, which consists of the Chancellor and 17 Federal Minister. The Union had named its staff a week ago.
Only one SPD Federal Minister from the old government of Olaf Scholz continues: Boris Pistorius remains responsible for defense. As Minister of Labor, the previous Bundestag President Bärbel BAS becomes the most important SPD woman in the cabinet.
Two SPD women under 40
Klingbeil has put together a cabinet of many tight confidants – including new and above all young faces, as he had promised it after the disastrous result of his party in the Bundestag election. Development Minister becomes the only 35-year-old integration officer Reem Alabali-Radovan, whose parents come from Iraq. The start-up founder and current vice-leader chairman Verena Hubertz, who takes over the Ministry of Building, is only two years older. Klingbeil had supported both offensive in recent years.
Environment Minister becomes the previous East Commissioner Carsten Schneider from Thuringia. As Minister of Justice, the lawyer and previous Rhineland-Palatinate Minister of Education Stefanie Hubig (56) moves to Berlin. The two State Ministers of the SPD are also filled with women: Elisabeth Kaiser, previously Parliamentary State Secretary for Building and Living, becomes representative for East Germany. Natalie Pawlik, previously representative for emigrants, will be responsible for migration, refugees and integration.
Klingbeil demands “real team play”
The new government needs “more real team play”, Klingbeil warned before signing the coalition agreement. As a motto for black and red, he said: “Germany needs fewer administrators and more possible.”
CSU boss Markus Söder called for “full steam for Germany”. “Not everything will go overnight.” However, with the implementation of the resolutions from the coalition agreement, one has to come to a new “Germany pace”. “It’s time for a new optimism.”
Total cabinet: larger, male, older
Overall, the new cabinet will be somewhat larger, more male and older than the traffic light government of the SPD, Greens and FDP was when it started in 2021. The average age increases from 50.4 to 53.1 years. This is mainly due to the eleven Unionists in the government, especially Chancellor Merz (69). On the other hand, they are 55.5 years old, but the Social Democrats only 49.4 years.
Due to the re -establishment of the Digital Ministry, there will be 18 instead of 17 cabinet members. The government is growing with it for the second time in a row. Among them are ten men and eight women. In the original Scholz government, there were nine men and eight women. After the replacement of Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) by Pistorius, however, the ratio later shifted to ten to seven.
SPD chooses the top of the parliamentary group on Wednesday – party presidency open
With the nomination of its government team, the SPD must also sort the top of the parliamentary group. Klingbeil agreed with the SPD party wings that the party left Matthias Miersch should become parliamentary group leader. Group manager, i.e. the first parliamentary managing director, is to become Dirk Wiese from the more conservative Seeheim district. The parliamentary group wants to re -elect their leadership on Wednesday morning.
The reorganization of the party leadership will also have to be clarified soon. It is to be newly elected at a party congress in June. It is expected that Klingbeil as party leader wants to continue – with whom, but is open. It would be possible that Esken will also start again. Then there could even be a combat vote at the party congress.
Spahn runs Union faction – CSU chooses Dobrindt successor
The Union also clarified important personal details and chose the former health minister Jens Spahn (CDU) with a result of 91.3 percent as the successor to Merz to the top of the parliamentary group in the Bundestag. The previous Vice Chair Steffen Bilger was elected as the new first parliamentary managing director. The 46-year-old lawyer from Ludwigsburg follows Thorsten Frei, who is to become head of the Chancellor.
The 44 CSU MPs will be led by 50-year-old Franconia Alexander Hoffmann in the future. He replaces Alexander Dobrindt, who is to become Federal Minister of the Interior.
Only twelve votes upholstery in the chancellor election
Even after the last personnel decisions and the four signatures below the 144-page coalition agreement, something can go wrong for black and red. The coalition has only twelve votes in the Bundestag more than the 316, which are necessary for the election of Merz as Chancellor.
Both Merz and Klingbeil were confident that it will still work in the first ballot: without exception, all MPs are on board on Tuesday, promised the CDU chairman. Klingbeil said about his faction: “I expect that we are complete and I expect everyone to be right.”
If this happens, the alliance titled by Merz as a “work coalition” can go to work on Tuesday afternoon – exactly half a year after the SPD, Greens and FDP’s traffic light coalition breaks.
Scholz is adopted with tapping
With the presentation of the certificate of appointment to Merz by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the term of office of Chancellor Olaf Scholz ends after 1,245 days. Tonight the Bundeswehr The SPD politician in front of the Ministry of Defense with a large tap.
Scholz will also belong to the Bundestag afterwards. He won a direct mandate in Potsdam and wants to perceive it until the end of the election period./Mfi/dp/jha