Germany's parliament elects Olaf Scholz chancellor, formally ending Angela Merkel's long tenure
The German parliament, or Bundestag, elected Olaf Scholz as the country's ninth post-World War II chancellor on Wednesday, a day after his center-left Social Democrats formalized a new government with the environmentalist Greens and pro-business Free Democrats parties. After the vote, Scholz met with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to formalize the appointment, and he will be sworn in Wednesday afternoon, officially ending Angela Merkel's 16 years in office.
Merkel, 67, decided to retire after 31 years politics and did not stand for re-election in September's election, but she has stayed on as caretaker chancellor until the new government is sworn in. Scholz's party narrowly defeated Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union-Christian Social Union bloc, and his three-party coalition holds 416 seats in the 736-seat lower house of parliament. He was elected chancellor on a 395-303 vote, with six abstentions, as Merkel watched from the spectator gallery.
Scholz, 63, has been Germany's vice chancellor and finance minister since 2018, in a coalition government with Merkel's bloc. In the new government, Greens co-leaders Robert Habeck and Annalena Baerbock will be vice chancellor and foreign minister, respectively, while Free Democrats leader Christian Lindner will be finance minister. Habeck will also head a revamped economy and climate ministry.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Scholz has signaled continuity in foreign policy with Merkel's government, but his coalition has ambition climate goals, including a quicker-than-planned phase-out of coal and switch to renewable energy sources. They have also prioritized modernizing Germany's mobile and internet networks. The new government's first priority, however, will be urgently tackling Germany's COVID-19 pandemic.
-
Did Alex Pretti’s killing open a GOP rift on guns?Talking Points Second Amendment groups push back on White House narrative
-
The 8 best hospital dramas of all timethe week recommends From wartime period pieces to of-the-moment procedurals, audiences never tire of watching doctors and nurses do their lifesaving thing
-
‘Implementing strengthened provisions help advance aviation safety’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Fed holds rates steady, bucking Trump pressureSpeed Read The Federal Reserve voted to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged
-
Judge slams ICE violations amid growing backlashSpeed Read ‘ICE is not a law unto itself,’ said a federal judge after the agency violated at least 96 court orders
-
Rep. Ilhan Omar attacked with unknown liquidSpeed Read This ‘small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work’
-
Democrats pledge Noem impeachment if not firedSpeed Read Trump is publicly defending the Homeland Security secretary
-
How realistic is the Democratic plan to retake the Senate this year?TODAY’S BIG QUESTION Schumer is growing bullish on his party’s odds in November — is it typical partisan optimism, or something more?
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
-
Trump says US ‘in charge’ of Venezuela after Maduro grabSpeed Read The American president claims the US will ‘run’ Venezuela for an unspecified amount of time, contradicting a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio
