Germany awaits new cabinet lineup after coalition agreement

BERLIN

As Germany awaits its new cabinet lineup following a coalition agreement between the Conservatives and Social Democrats, attention turned Thursday to potential candidates for key positions.

Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) will lead six ministries in the new coalition government. Their Bavarian sister party, the CSU, will receive three ministries, while the Social Democrats (SPD) will hold seven.

Under the agreement, the conservative CDU/CSU alliance will oversee crucial portfolios including Foreign Affairs, Interior, and the Economy and Energy ministries.

For the first time in nearly 60 years, the CDU will take charge of the Foreign Ministry, with senior party figures Johann Wadephul and Armin Laschet emerging as leading candidates.

The CSU will lead the Interior Ministry and plans to implement stricter migration and internal security measures. CSU parliamentary group leader Alexander Dobrindt is mentioned as a potential minister. The coalition agreement specifies tough measures against irregular migration, including enhanced border controls and migrant returns at entry points.

The Social Democrats will head seven ministries, including Finance, Defense, and Labor, according to the agreement. Boris Pistorius, the current defense minister and one of the most popular politicians in the country, will likely keep his position. SPD co-chair Lars Klingbeil is set to become both vice chancellor and finance minister.

Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) secured 28.5% of the vote in February's snap elections but failed to achieve an outright majority. The SPD, though recording their lowest-ever result at 16.4%, emerged as a crucial coalition partner. The coalition would give the two parties 328 seats in the parliament, comfortably exceeding the 316-seat threshold needed for a governing majority.

Following Wednesday's agreement, the coalition deal requires approval from party bodies and delegates. The Social Democrats will conduct a membership-wide vote on April 15-29, while the CDU will make its decision at a small party conference on April 28. The CSU approved the coalition agreement on Thursday during a video conference meeting of its executive committee, federal and regional parliamentary groups.

If all three parties approve the coalition agreement, the German parliament could elect Merz as the new chancellor in early May, replacing Olaf Scholz.

According to local media, the agreement's signing ceremony is planned for May 5, with the parliamentary vote to follow on May 6.