Political accord finalized to make Scholz chancellor
BERLIN — A threeparty deal to form a new German government under center-left leader Olaf Scholz cleared its final hurdle on Monday, setting the stage for Scholz to succeed longtime Chancellor Angela Merkel this week.
Germany’s environmentalist Greens said their rank-and-file members approved the agreement reached last month, with 86% voting for it in a ballot. The other two parties — Scholz’s Social Democrats and the probusiness Free Democrats — overwhelmingly approved the agreement at weekend conventions.
“We are going into a strong new government, with a very strong and diverse Cabinet, with strong tailwind from the ballot,” said Green coleader Annalena Baerbock, who is set to become Germany’s first female foreign minister.
The coalition aims to modernize Europe’s biggest economy, step up efforts against climate change and introduce more liberal social policies.
Scholz is due to be elected as chancellor in parliament on Wednesday, ending the centerright Merkel’s 16-year tenure. He will need the support of at least 369 lawmakers in the 736-seat lower house to take the top job. The three coalition partners have 416 seats between them, so he should be assured of a comfortable majority.
Hours before the Greens cleared the path for that vote, Scholz presented his party’s nominees for the Cabinet, completing his 17-member team.
The most closely watched appointment was that of the health minister, as Germany struggles to bring down its highest coronavirus infection rates of the pandemic so far. Scholz chose Karl Lauterbach, an epidemiologist and media-savvy lawmaker who has been one of Germany’s most prominent voices urging caution and strict measures against COVID-19.
“The pandemic is far from over,” said Scholz, arguing that “most people in this country certainly wanted the next health minister to be a specialist who can really do it well.”
Federal and state leaders last week announced tough new restrictions that largely target unvaccinated people. In a longer-term move, parliament will consider a general vaccine mandate.
Announcing his choices for the interior and defense portfolios, Scholz said that “security will be in the hands of strong women in this government.”
Nancy Faeser, a lawyer who heads the party’s branch in the central state of Hesse, was an unexpected choice to become Germany’s first female interior minister, a post that includes oversight of federal police forces and the domestic intelligence agency. Faeser said that a major focus will be fighting far-right extremism.
Outgoing Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht will become the new defense minister.
Scholz’s vice chancellor will be Robert Habeck, who leads the Greens along with Baerbock. He will head an economy and climate ministry, a new combination. The Free Democrats’ leader, Christian Lindner, will become finance minister and effectively the No. 3 official in the new government.