Get 40% Off
🤯 This Tech Portfolio is up 29% YTD! Join Now to Get April’s Top PicksGet The Picks – Just 99 USD

Germany's gender-balanced cabinet takes shape as coalition deal nears

Published 11/20/2021, 09:31 AM
Updated 11/20/2021, 11:26 AM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) candidate for chancellor Olaf Scholz delivers a statement in Berlin, Germany, November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) candidate for chancellor Olaf Scholz delivers a statement in Berlin, Germany, November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany's next cabinet is taking shape as coalition negotiations near a deal, with chancellor-in-waiting Olaf Scholz determined to deliver on his campaign pledge to have as many women as men in his team, sources said on Saturday.

Scholz's centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), who narrowly won the federal election in September by beating Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, are trying to form a three-way ruling coalition with the pro-spending Greens and the fiscally conservative Free Democrats (FDP).

The SPD is set to nominate at least three women for cabinet posts: outgoing Environment Minister Svenja Schulze, outgoing Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht and Scholz's former running mate in the race for party co-leadership Klara Geywitz, three people familiar with the decision told Reuters.

Schulze is expected to become economy or transformation minister, Lambrecht will likely be in charge of the interior portfolio including migration and Geywitz could get the science and education ministry, the sources said.

Depending on the coalition horse trading, the SPD could also nominate lawmaker and human rights expert Baerbel Kofler for the economic cooperation and development portfolio.

Among the SPD men, Scholz will lead the next government as chancellor, his right-hand man Wolfgang Schmidt is expected to become his chief of staff and Labour Minister Hubertus Heil is set to keep his job thanks to his strong performance during the COVID-19 pandemic, the sources said.

Coalition officials have repeatedly said that cabinet posts will be decided at the very end of coalition negotiations. Party officials have hinted that an agreement could be reached in the coming week, possibly as early as Monday or Tuesday.

FDP leader Christian Lindner is pushing to become finance minister, though Greens co-leader Robert Habeck was also keen on the post to guarantee enough public resources to pay for Germany's faster shift towards a climate-friendly economy.

On Friday, Lindner said fears he would be a fiscal hawk as finance minister were overblown despite his repeated calls for solid public finances and debt reduction after the coronavirus crisis.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) candidate for chancellor Olaf Scholz delivers a statement in Berlin, Germany, November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo

If Lindner get his way, Habeck is likely to lead a beefed-up climate ministry while Greens co-leader Annalena Baerbock is expected to become Germany's first female foreign minister.

During the election campaign, Baerbock has called for a tougher approach towards Russia and China.

Latest comments

Reservations on steroids. Europe imploding from within itself with liberalism.
more tax for middle class while they have to bear 5% inflation
Fasten your seat belt: socialists in power.
Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.