Merkel elected Federal Chancellor
The old and new head of the German federal government wins an absolute majority of the votes in the very first round.
The members of German Parliament have once again elected Angela Merkel as Federal Chancellor. Merkel polled 462 of 631 votes and thus gained an absolute majority in the first round of voting. Germany’s Grand Coalition is made up of the CDU/CSU and SPD parties, will be led by Merkel, and accounts for 504 members of parliament. The election in parliament was by secret ballot.
After the election, the Federal Chancellor, about to begin her third term in office, received her formal letter of appointment from the hands of Federal President Joachim Gauck in Schloss Bellevue. Thereafter, she was finally sworn in by President of the Bundestag Norbert Lammert. The ministers of the new cabinet will formally take office this Tuesday and begin work this afternoon at the first cabinet meeting.
On Monday Angela Merkel signed the coalition agreement, as did the chairmen of the CSU and SPD, Horst Seeofer and Sigmar Gabriel. Merkel said that the agreement formed a good basis for “shaping the future of Germany and serving the people.” She stated that the central themes to be addressed were sound finances, safeguarding prosperity, and social security.
It has taken almost three months for a government to be formed. Although the CDU emerged the clear victory in the general elections on 22 September, its previous coalition partner, the FDP, is no longer represented in parliament.
