Crazy about Horst: Germany's new cabinet PDF Print E-mail
By Election Blog   
Wednesday, 19 October 2005
Merkel and StoiberWith Angela Merkels announcement of the conservative ministers in the anticipated Grand Coalition government, Germany now has a reasonably clear idea of who will govern the country in the next four years. Or do we? Election Blog tells a cunning tale of bravery, treason and loss of orientation. [b]Queen without country[/b]
Mrs. Merkel will be the first female head of government in German history. This was the one important result of last week's talks. The other: Merkel's prospective centre-left coalition partner gets 8 of the 14 ministries. As many commentators pointed out, the conservatives sacrificed much of their ambitious liberal reform program to get their candidate into office. While many party members still asked themselves why they were ready to give up so much for Merkel who has never been loved by her party, the discussion had already moved on.

Surprisingly quickly, the Social-Democrats under their chairman Franz Muentefering managed to present their choice of ministers. To mention some of the key positions, Muentefering himself will lead the ministry of labour and social security and will also be vice-chancellor. The former minister-president (governor) of Germany's largest state, North Rhine-Westphalia, will have a try at handling the country's shaky finances and one of outgoing chancellor Schroeder's closest assistants is designated foreign secretary.

[b]With friends like these...[/b]
Merkel doesn't only have to deal with the Social Democrats, though. There's also the Christian Democrats' Bavarian sister party and their chairman, Edmund Stoiber. Edmund Stoiber was the conservative's candidate for chancellor in 2002. If they had asked him to run again in 2005, he hadn't said no. Unfortunately, noone asked. Edmund Stoiber "fully supports" Angela Merkel.

Merkel and Stoiber[size=8]Group shot with minor mistake. Shouldn't Merkel be in the centre of her ministers?[/size]

After a long period of inconclusiveness, Stoiber had announced his decision to become minister for economics after the elections. However, as the smaller partner in Merkels conservative Union group, he still had the right to designate another minister. His candidate: Horst Seehofer. Horst Seehofer used to be minister of health in the last conservative government. And he has been one of Merkels most ferocious critics, calling her plans for reform "heartless". Merkel was not amused. In a last-minute push to avoid a minister Seehofer, she offered the leader of the CSU group in parliament the more presigious post of minister for defence. In vain. Seehofer will become minister for agriculture.

Merkel and StoiberWhen asked about the tensions in the conservative camp and his troubled relationship with Merkel, Stoiber declined to answer stating he was in a hurry to get to a meeting of his faction. Unfortunately, Stoiber got lost in the Reichstag building. He ended up with the Social-Democrats.

[b]Friedrich Kauder[/b]
Views: 40

Comments (4)
Written by ncb13 on 19-10-2005 17:32 - Guest
 
 
I believe one should also focus on the positive sites, and not only on the negative ones. E.g., the high amount of really competent members of the cabinet (Steinbrnck, Stoiber, Steinmeyer, Schavan etc.). Furthermore Stoiber is inside the cabinet and not outside of it, which I believe would make it harder for Merkelto govern. Additionally, Mnntefering as the leader of the Social Democrats made positive/appreciating statements about the choice of secretaries of the CDU/CSU, and some compromises seem in sight (taxation). So let's look at the overall picture, and not focus on all the possible future problems.
  
Written by Lucas on 19-10-2005 19:17 - Guest
 
 
What else should Germany focus on if not on the future problems...? ;)

Control was just the reason that Stoiber wanted Seehofer in the cabinet, same as Merkel wanted him. Stoiber isn't even minister and already his bavarians are engaging a succession war.
  
Written by ncb13 on 20-10-2005 03:56 - Guest
 
 
I have no problem with focus on future problems. However, that was first of all not my point (negative sites), and second you can have different points of views on those. You can name than, and cry about how bad everything is, or you can look at them, and figure what to do about them or how the people supposed to deal with them look at them. And if one just writes about upcoming conflict between the persons in power, instead of addressing the ways the problems are tackled, I think that is not a focus on future problems, but a negative focus on future problems.
Furthermore, how is the last sentence related to the rest of the statement, please clarify.
  
Written by ncb13 on 20-10-2005 03:59 - Guest
 
 
I think an editing option should be added for tired, midterm-stressed students who confuse than with them or have terrible problems with putting commas correctly at first...
  

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