Scholz cabinet

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For the Scholz cabinets of Hamburg, see Senate Scholz I and Senate Scholz II.
Cabinet of Olaf Scholz
Cabinet Scholz

24th Cabinet of the Federal Republic of Germany
Incumbent
Date formed8 December 2021
(2 years, 4 months, 3 weeks and 5 days)
People and organisations
PresidentFrank-Walter Steinmeier
ChancellorOlaf Scholz
Vice ChancellorRobert Habeck
Member partiesSocial Democratic Party
Alliance 90/The Greens
Free Democratic Party
Status in legislatureTraffic light coalition government
416 / 736 (57%)
Opposition partiesChristian Democratic Union
Christian Social Union
Alternative for Germany
The Left
Opposition leaderRalph Brinkhaus (CDU) (2021–2022)
Friedrich Merz (CDU) (from 2022)
History
Election(s)2021 federal election
Legislature term(s)20th Bundestag
PredecessorMerkel IV

The Scholz cabinet (German: Kabinett Scholz, pronounced [kabiˈnɛt ʃɔlt͡s] ⓘ) is the current cabinet of Germany, led by Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The cabinet is composed of Scholz's Social Democratic Party, Alliance 90/The Greens and the Free Democratic Party, an arrangement known as a "traffic light coalition" in Germany after the parties' traditional colours, respectively red, green and yellow, matching the colour sequence of a traffic light (Ampel). This traffic light coalition-government is the first of its kind at the federal level in the history of the German federal republic.

Following the 2021 German federal election, the three parties reached a coalition agreement on 24 November 2021.[1][2] The SPD approved the coalition agreement by 98.8% (598 yes-votes to 7 no-votes and 3 abstentions) at the party's federal convention on 4 December 2021.[3][4] The FDP approved the coalition agreement by 92.24% (535 yes-votes to 37 no-votes and 8 abstentions) at the party's federal convention on 5 December 2021.[5] The Greens approved the agreement via a party-wide referendum, the results of which were declared on 6 December (61,174 yes-votes to 8,275 no-votes and 1,701 abstentions).[6][7]

Scholz was elected as Chancellor by the Bundestag on 8 December 2021.[8] His cabinet, as determined by the coalition agreement, was formally appointed by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on the same day.

Composition

The cabinet consists of Chancellor Olaf Scholz and sixteen federal ministers.[9] The SPD has eight positions, the Greens have five and the FDP has four.[10]

Order[11] Office Portrait Minister Party Took office Left office
1
Chancellor 		Olaf Scholz SPD 8 December 2021 Incumbent
2 Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck Greens 8 December 2021 Incumbent

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
3
Federal Minister of Finance 		Christian Lindner FDP 8 December 2021 Incumbent
4
Federal Minister of the Interior and Community 		Nancy Faeser SPD 8 December 2021 Incumbent
5
Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs 		Annalena Baerbock Greens 8 December 2021 Incumbent
6
Federal Minister of Justice 		Marco Buschmann FDP 8 December 2021 Incumbent
7
Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs 		Hubertus Heil SPD 14 March 2018 Incumbent
8
Federal Minister of Defence 		Christine Lambrecht SPD 8 December 2021 Incumbent
9
Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture 		Cem Özdemir Greens 8 December 2021 Incumbent
10
Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth 		Anne Spiegel Greens 8 December 2021 25 April 2022
Lisa Paus 25 April 2022 Incumbent
11
Federal Minister of Health 		Karl Lauterbach SPD 8 December 2021 Incumbent
12
Federal Minister of Digital and Transport 		Volker Wissing FDP 8 December 2021 Incumbent
13
Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection 		Steffi Lemke Greens 8 December 2021 Incumbent
14
Federal Minister of Education and Research 		Bettina Stark-Watzinger FDP 8 December 2021 Incumbent
15
Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development 		Svenja Schulze SPD 8 December 2021 Incumbent
16
Federal Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Building 		Klara Geywitz SPD 8 December 2021 Incumbent
17
Federal Minister for Special Affairs &
Head of the Chancellery 		Wolfgang Schmidt SPD 8 December 2021 Incumbent

Policy

See also: Category:Scholz cabinet

Economy and energy

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Scholz government passed a gas rationing law, under the leadership of economy minister Robert Habeck (Greens).[12] In August 2022, a major expansion of the BAföG system of government grants and loans for students and trainees was introduced, fulfilling a key FDP government program plank.[13] The largest housing benefits reform since 1965 will come into effect on January 1st, 2023, with the number of households entitled to receive the benefits increasing from 600,000 in 2022 to over 2 million in 2023, and the allowances for heating and cooling more than doubling. [14] The Traffic Light coalition also agreed on a major 200 billion Euro energy relief package in October 2022, to come into effect starting in January 2023 and running through mid-2024.[15] The government announced a gas price capping scheme called Gaspreisbremse for 2023.[16]

Labour

In October 2022, the minimum wage was increased to 12 Euros per hour, fulfilling a key SPD election campaign promise. [17] The Scholz government proposed a reform of unemployment payments, moving Germany from Hartz IV to a so-called Bürgergeld system.[18]

Transport

In its first year, the Scholz government introduced the 9-Euro-Ticket in summer 2022. The transport ministry, led by Volker Wissing (Free Democrats), failed to prepare an adequate plan to meet emissions reduction targets in the transport sector in summer 2022.[19] However, in October 2022, the federal government and the states agreed to implement a nationwide 49 Euro per month public transport ticket, which will apply to all local and regional transit across the country and eliminate the previous maze of tariff zones starting in 2023. [20]

Health

Under health minister and medical professor Karl Lauterbach (Social Democrats), the vaccination ratio stagnated at 75% (as of August 2022).[21]

Social Policy

In June 2022, the SPD, Greens, FDP, and Die Linke voted to repeal Paragraph Section 219a of the Criminal Code ("Strafgesetzbuch"), which outlawed the so-called "advertisement" of abortion services (a legal term). The paragraph had prohibited doctors from specifying online which kinds of abortion services they provide, and under what circumstances.[22]

Defense Policy

In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Traffic Light coalition joined with the opposition CDU/CSU to pass a special 100 billion Euro package to finance a re-arming of the Bundeswehr, marking a radical break with the foreign policy of the past 70 years. The funds are to be used to purchase new fighter jets (including the F-35), armed drones, boats, submarines, combat vehicles, and personal equipment. 41 billion Euros are earmarked for the airforce, 19 billion for the navy, 17 billion for the ground forces, and 21 billion across all branches of the military for new communication technology and to counter the threat of cyberattacks.[23]

Governance

In the first year of the Scholz coalition, family minister Anne Spiegel resigned, under pressure for her handling of a 2021 flooding crisis in her former role as Rhineland-Palatinate environment minister.[24] She was replaced by her fellow Green party member Lisa Paus.[25]

Chancellor Scholz was summoned by a panel investigating the Cum Ex affair, for his role in the city of Hamburg's decision not to prosecute a bank that had illicitly gained tax funds.[26]

References

  1. ^ Connolly, Kate (24 November 2021). "German parties agree coalition deal to make Olaf Scholz chancellor". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  2. ^ Donahue, Patrick; Jennen, Birgit; Delfs, Arne (24 November 2021). "Scholz Seals Coalition Deal to Become Next German Chancellor". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Scholz' Kanzlerschaft rückt näher: SPD gibt grünes Licht für Koalitionsvertrag - Redner loben Lauterbach". Merkur.de. 4 December 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Scholz's party approves deal for new German coalition govt". ABC News. 4 December 2021.
  5. ^ "FDP stimmt für Koalitionsvertrag". Tagesschau. 5 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Grüne stimmen für Koalitionsvertrag mit SPD und FDP". Zeit.de (in German). 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  7. ^ "Ampel-Regierung: Auch die Grünen machen den Weg frei". wiwo.de (in German). 9 December 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  8. ^ Bennhold, Katrin (2021-12-08). "Germany Live Updates: Parliament Approves Scholz as Chancellor, Ending Merkel Era". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  9. ^ "Cabinet". Bundesregierung.de. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  10. ^ Connolly, Kate (24 November 2021). "German parties agree coalition deal to make Olaf Scholz chancellor". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  11. ^ German Chancellery (25 April 2022). "Liste der Bundesministerinnen und Bundesminister" [List of Federal Ministers]. Protokoll Inland der Bundesregierung (in German). German Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  12. ^ Käckenhoff, Tom; Eckert, Vera; Steitz, Christoph; Eckert, Vera (2022-08-09). "As German gas rationing looms, industry begs exemptions". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
  13. ^ https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/gesellschaft/baefoeg-101.html
  14. ^ https://www.ruhr24.de/service/wohngeld-beantragen-anspruch-2023-hoehe-olaf-scholz-ampel-entlastungspaket-deutschland-91821430.html
  15. ^ https://www.dw.com/en/german-parliament-approves-200-billion-energy-relief-plan/a-63517489#:~:text=The%20rescue%20package%20aims%20to,usual%20consumption%20starting%20in%20March.
  16. ^ Hansen, Holger (2022-10-10). "Germany girds for gas supply pain, targets $93 billion price relief plan". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  17. ^ https://www.br.de/nachrichten/wirtschaft/zwoelf-euro-gesetzlicher-mindestlohn-ab-oktober-wer-profitiert,TIpsiJX
  18. ^ "Germany's upper house blocks key welfare reform – DW – 11/14/2022". dw.com. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
  19. ^ Kaiser, Arvid; Schaible, Jonas (2022-08-25). "Expertenrat urteilt: Wissings Klimaprogramm für den Verkehr »schon im Ansatz ohne Anspruch«". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
  20. ^ https://www.24rhein.de/leben-im-westen/verkehr/nrw-jahresabo-bahn-bus-kaufen-gueltigkeit-rentner-studenten-ice-nrw-49-euro-ticket-ab-wann-bundesweit-9-euro-nachfolger-91756580.html
  21. ^ "ZEIT ONLINE | Lesen Sie zeit.de mit Werbung oder im PUR-Abo. Sie haben die Wahl". www.zeit.de. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
  22. ^ https://www.lto.de/recht/nachrichten/n/291a-stgb-abgeschafft-beschluss-des-bundestages-abtreibung-werbeverbot/
  23. ^ https://www.dw.com/en/how-will-the-german-military-spend-100-billion/a-62020972
  24. ^ tagesschau.de. "Anne Spiegel erklärt Rücktritt als Bundesfamilienministerin". tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved 2022-11-15.
  25. ^ "Lisa Paus: Familienministerin | Bundesregierung". Die Bundesregierung informiert | Startseite (in German). Retrieved 2022-11-15.
  26. ^ LTO. "Cum-Ex-U-Ausschuss: Scholz weist Einflussnahme zurück". Legal Tribune Online (in German). Retrieved 2022-11-15.


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