The German Social Democrats, the Greens and the Liberals unveiled this Wednesday afternoon their government agreement to form a coalition which will come to power and thus open a new era after sixteen years of Angela Merkel. A government which will be all the more unprecedented since the legislative elections two months ago were marked by a historic debacle for the conservative camp of the Chancellor.
The three parties presented their government “contract” in Berlin. Previously, they made a final round table to settle the details of an agreement that promises to give pride of place to environmental protection, including an anticipated exit from coal in 2030, against 2038 previously. Another flagship measure, the government intends to legalize cannabis, the sale of which in “approved stores” will be reserved for “adults”. “This will allow quality control, prevent the transmission of contaminated substances and guarantee the protection of young people”, specifies the government contract, specifying that “the social impact of the law” would be assessed after four years.
Annalena Baerbock, first woman Minister of Foreign Affairs
The coalition agreement was tied up after vigorous negotiations, as the Covid-19 epidemic breaks infection records in Germany and the EU faces the migrant crisis in Germany. Polish border. Sign of growing nervousness in the face of the outbreak of contaminations, Angela Merkel received Tuesday evening at the chancellery the leaders of the parties of the future coalition called “traffic light”.
The “coalition contract” between the three parties, which must define all the economic, environmental and societal reforms that the next government will implement, was finalized in record time given the balance of power: the three parties are entered into discussions on October 21, with more than twenty working groups. On the evening of the elections, everyone had shown their willingness to go quickly so as not to repeat the scenario of 2017 when Angela Merkel took more than five months to form her government, paralyzing Europe.
This clever mix results in the appointment for the first time of a woman to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Unhappy environmentalist candidate for the chancellery after a failed campaign, Annalena Baerbock, 40, will take the head of German diplomacy in a government with gender parity, according to the media.
Olaf Scholz, already present at the G20
The very important and prestigious Moroccan Finance Minister returns to the leader of the liberal FDP party, Christian Lindner, taking an orthodox line on public deficits. The agreement indicates a return to budgetary rigor in 2023. The popular co-president of the Greens, Robert Habeck is moving into a “super ministry” of Climate. Still, the doors of the Chancellery are now wide open for the Social Democrat Olaf Scholz, 63, who should be made chancellor in early December by members of the Bundestag.
Germany will then turn the page on the Merkel years, which has only been managing current affairs for a month. Broken into the intricacies of negotiation, Olaf Scholz has already taken his first steps on the international scene by accompanying Angela Merkel to the G20 summit last month in Rome and by participating informally in the interview with US President Joe Biden.
