The Social Democrat Olaf Scholz has been elected this Wednesday Federal Chancellor by the German Parliament (Bundestag), where his party and his future government allies, the Greens and the Liberal Party (PDF) have the majority.
The elected chancellor obtained the support of 395 votes, compared to 303 against and 6 abstentions. His alliance with the Greens and the Liberals sum in the Bundestag 416 seats out of a total of 736, although the number of deputies present was 707.
This Wednesday’s session was also characterized by the long standing ovation with which Parliament said goodbye to Angela Merkel after 16 years as the highest German president.
8 of 17 Ministries occupied by women
The new government, an unprecedented tripartite at federal level, will be the most equal in the history of Germany, since eight of its 16 ministries -17, with the post of chancellor- will be occupied by women, including the four that concern the national security and foreign policy: Foreign Affairs, Interior, Defense and Development Aid.
To the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the most voted force in the general elections of last September with 25.7%, corresponds to seven ministries, in addition to the Chancellery.
The Greens, which obtained 14.8%, will have five portfolios, including the super-ministry of Economy and Climate, for its co-chair Robert Habeck, who will also be the vice chancellor, while his co-president, Annalena baerbock, will occupy Foreign Affairs.
To the FPD, with 11.5% in the last elections, corresponded to four ministries, including the key department in the European power of Finance, which will be for their leader, Christian Lindner.
The parliamentary session opened directly with the vote, after a brief greeting from the president of the chamber, the Social Democrat Bärbel Bas, who also welcomed Merkel, sitting in the visitors’ gallery, who has repeatedly announced that she will not hold any new political office.
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