German Chancellor, Angela Merkel is due to be sworn in for third term on Tuesday after successfully hashing out a coalition agreement with the country’s centre-left Social Democrats.
Merkel’s junior coalition partner voted in favour of the agreement this weekend.
Conjuring the words of Germany’s post-war Chancellor, Konrad Andenauer, a delighted Merkel said, “If two people always have the same opinion, neither are worth anything. In this sense the first chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany has given a good indication for possible discussions in the grand coalition.”
One surprise move by Merkel was the appointment of a woman as Minister of Defence. Ursula von der Leyen was previously Minister of Labour and had crossed Merkel earlier over the under representation of women on company boards.
Germany’s opposition Green Party is unimpressed with the new cabinet.
Simone Peters, Green Party Leader said, “it’s relatively boring, especially concerning the CDU-ministers. Few new people,” she said, “nothing really ambitious.
Merkel will be sworn in at Berlin’s Bundestag tomorrow, where she she is expected to outline the coalition deal.
