According to the terms of the coalition agreement reached in Germany, the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) will, for the first time in almost 60 years, gain control of the country's foreign policy department, which is expected to be headed by Johann Wadephul. And the German Defense Ministry is expected to remain with Boris Pistorius of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). This is reported by dpa and Bloomberg, writes UNN.
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Germany's CDU conservatives and Social Democrats have sealed an agreement to form Germany's next government, paving the way for Friedrich Merz to become Chancellor in the first week of May.
According to sources from dpa and Bloomberg in political forces, the Merz CDU/CSU bloc will receive the posts of ministers of foreign affairs, economy and internal affairs. The SPD should receive the portfolios of ministers of finance, defense and labor.
While eight of the 15 main office positions will be held by women, the four most influential have been taken by men, Bloomberg writes.
The German Ministry of Finance is expected to be headed by SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil. In the political hierarchy of Germany, the job of finance minister is considered key after the chancellor. He will be Merz's deputy as vice-chancellor. The 47-year-old politician has headed the SPD with Saskia Esken since 2021. After the party's bitter defeat in the national elections on February 23, he also took over as head of the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag.
According to the media, the economic department was assigned to Carsten Linnemann (CDU). Merz's Christian Democrats' general secretary played a key role in the conservatives' successful election campaign. His influence may also be extended to the Ministry of Labor, the departments were divided under Chancellor Olaf Scholz. This will make Linnemann one of the most influential members of the government with a large degree of responsibility for restoring the German economy to significant growth after several years of stagnation.
The Ministry of Defense is expected to remain with Boris Pistorius (SPD). Thanks to his unusually restrained rhetoric and worldly manner, Boris Pistorius quickly emerged from relative obscurity in regional government to become Germany's most popular politician. He is one of two ministers from the SPD pool who retained their current position. Pistorius said he is ready to oversee military procurement of unprecedented proportions in the coming years. He is also considered the most likely candidate for chancellor from the SPD in the next elections.
Germany's foreign policy is expected to be led by Johann Wadephul (CDU). The appointment of Johann Wadephul is something of a surprise for the new coalition. An experienced lawyer, he has been a member of the Bundestag since 2009, committed to European values and has strong ties with Germany's international partners in the EU and NATO. He has a firm position on supporting Ukraine in the war unleashed by Russia. He is also well aware of the state of affairs in the German armed forces, as he has a term of volunteer service in his biography.
Let us recall
CDU/CSU and SPD agreed to create a government coalition in Germany. The main elements of the agreement will be reforms in the areas of migration, economic and defense policy.