Politics

German parties sign government coalition deal

Berlin, Dec 7 (EFE).- Germany’s new coalition government was on Tuesday signed by incoming governing parties a day before Social Democrat Olaf Scholz is due to take over from Angela Merkel, who is stepping down after 16 years in office.

The coalition deal has been approved by the three parties – the Social Democrats, the Greens and the Free Democrats – whose members voted strongly in favor of the proposal.

Under the slogan ‘Dare More Progress. Alliance for Freedom, Justice, and Sustainability’, the cabinet, which will be on average one year younger than Merkel’s first group of ministers, has made Covid-19 and the climate crisis its policy priorities.

It will also have an equal number of male and female ministers, one of Scholz’s campaign pledges.

The signing of the government deal will be followed on Wednesday by the investiture of Scholz in parliament (Bundestag), where the tripartite coalition has 416 of the 736 deputies.

This will formally mark the end of the era of the long-serving Angela Merkel, who grew up in the former GDR in East Germany and made history in 2005 when she became chancellor. EFE

gc/mp/k

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