German political parties and elections

[Aeternitas]

Merkel Announces German Cabinet

After playing tug-of-war with her own party, Germany's chancellor-designate, Angela Merkel, named her cabinet members on Monday, ahead of coalition talks aimed at forming the new government.

Germany's chancellor-to-be Angela Merkel named the conservative ministers in her cabinet Monday to complete the line-up of a coalition government which faces a formidable task to regenerate an ailing economy.

As expected, she appointed Wolfgang Schäuble (interior), Horst Seehofer (agriculture), Franz Josef Jung (defense), Annette Schavan (education) and Ursula Von Der Leyen (family). Edmund Stoiber had previously confirmed that he would become head of the economics ministry.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1743575,00.html

[Aeternitas]

New German Parliament Sits for First Time

Germany's new parliament sat for the first time on Tuesday even as the incoming coalition government tries to put together a policy program.

Exactly one month after dramatic elections threw Germany into political chaos, the 614 newly elected lawmakers met in the Bundestag, or lower house of parliament.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1745222,00.html

[Menydh]

Ursula Von Der Leyen (family)

There is a ministry for the family? First news.

[Aeternitas]

Federal ministries:

http://www.bundesregierung.de/en/Federal-Government/-,10149/Ministries.htm

[Menydh]

I was wondering what's the duty of the Ministry of Family Affairs. Deny help to Germans who have or want to have a family? Help Turkish immigrants to bring their families in Germany? It really makes no sense.

Likewise a Ministry of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture doesn't make much sense. The E.U. next brillian policy is to finish with all agricultural production in Europe and for Europe to rely on imports from other areas.

I wonder if in the future, just like there is an organisation of countries producers of oil that lobby to push the prices up, there will be an organisation of countries producers of food which will lobby to do the same.

[Phlegethon]

It's all well-paid jobs for Angie's and Müntefering's party buddies. 80% of all legislation already is done in Brussels and Strasbourg. The German parliament's only task is to implement it.

[Aeternitas]

Merkel May Be Elected as German Chancellor on Nov. 22, CDU Says

Oct. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Angela Merkel, leader of Germany's Christian Democrats, may be sworn in as chancellor by the lower house of parliament on Nov. 22 if a coalition agreement between her party and outgoing leader Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrats is in place beforehand, a CDU spokesman said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000100&sid=aGWxTnIIgOpw&refer=germany

[Aeternitas]

Schröder Attacks EU at His Final Summit

[...]

"As you are no doubt aware, this wasn't a summit where any groundbreaking decisions were made," he told reporters after the meeting of the 25 European heads of state ended outside of London Thursday night.

Schröder let loose with a sharp string of criticism for the Anglo-Saxon social model, saying it should "certainly not" be used as an example for the rest of the EU and stressing that Europe needs to hold to its social roots.

"We should not accept social dumping or the undermining of environmental standards in the name of services liberalization," he said, addressing the other 24 heads of state at the informal meeting. "People in Europe are ready for change, and reform, but they need this with social change."

[...]

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1758057,00.html

[Aeternitas]

Coalition Government in Doubt as SPD Undergoes Shakeup

The surprise announcement of the resignation of SPD chief Franz Müntefering has thrown the future of a left-right coalition government into doubt. But what an alternative would be is unclear.

Müntefering's decision to step down from the leadership post at the Social Democrats (SPD) combined with the news that Edmund Stoiber, head of the Bavarian Christian Social Union, had abandoned plans to join a future cabinet has politicians on both sides questioning whether a "grand coalition" between the conservatives and the Social Democrats is now possible.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1762365,00.html

[Aeternitas]

Merkel promises to transform Germany's relationship with US

· Next chancellor plans to loosen ties with France
· Foreign ministry in SPD hands may limit changes

Luke Harding in Berlin
Monday October 31, 2005
The Guardian

Germany's chancellor designate, Angela Merkel, yesterday signalled a new era for the country's foreign policy, including a "fresh start" with the US and looser ties with Paris and Moscow.

Mrs Merkel intends to repair relations with Washington after the row between her predecessor, Gerhard Schröder, and George Bush over Iraq, her aides said over the weekend. She also promised a transformation in Germany's relationship with its two closest allies, Russia and France.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/germany/article/0,2763,1605052,00.html

[Aeternitas]

Germany's New Government Pact Finally in Place

Germany's main parties on Friday finalized a program for incoming chancellor Angela Merkel's left-right coalition government, ending nearly two months of political uncertainty in Europe's biggest economy.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1773778,00.html

[Aeternitas]

Tradition frustrates German women

By Ray Furlong
BBC correspondent in Berlin

Germany may be about to get its first woman chancellor, but elsewhere in this country women in leadership positions remain a rarity.

"The fact that people talk about Angela Merkel being a woman chancellor so much shows that Germans are not used to women in top positions," says Christina Zech from the WeiberWirtschaft, an association that supports female entrepreneurs.

[...]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4428800.stm

[Aeternitas]

Chancellor-Designate Merkel to Visit Turkey

Incoming German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday said she had accepted an invitation to visit Turkey in the first half of next year, and expressed hope the two countries would enjoy strong ties.

Merkel made the announcement after meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül, who conveyed the invitation on behalf of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Berlin

She said she would like to see "good and intensive cooperation" between Germany and Turkey and stressed that they enjoyed a "common bond" because both were members of NATO.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1782828,00.html

[Menydh]

One of the big problems of parliamentary democracy. Every man is equally worthy since value of every man is determined by his possibility to vote. And thus in modern Germany thousands of ethnic Turks are as good as thousands of ethnic Germans for a politician.

Actually, the Turks can be of greater value than the Germans as they make a more compact voting community.

[Aeternitas]

Political Bickering in Germany as Coalition Treaty is Signed

Social Democrats and Christian Democrats signed the coalition treaty Friday after weeks of negotiation. But infighting on one of their biggest proposals could pose trouble before work really begins.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1782571,00.html

[Laocoon]

So no "habemus ein kanzler" for Germans yet? Will this soap end a day? Is there a pilote in the plane?