First Merkel cabinet

The first Merkel cabinet (German: Kabinett Merkel I) was the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany from 22 November 2005 to 27 October 2009 throughout the 16th legislative session of the Bundestag.[1] Led by Christian Democrat Angela Merkel, the first female Chancellor in German history, the cabinet was supported by a grand coalition between the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD).[2]

It was installed following the 2005 federal election and succeeded the second Schröder cabinet.[3] It ceased to function after the formation of second Merkel cabinet, which was installed after the 2009 federal elections and sworn in on 28 October 2009.[4]

Composition

The federal cabinet consisted of the following ministers:

Portfolio	Minister		Took office	Left office	Party
Chancellor		Angela Merkel	22 November 2005	Merkel II	CDU
Vice-Chancellor		Franz Müntefering	22 November 2005	21 November 2007	SPD
		Frank-Walter Steinmeier	21 November 2007	27 October 2009	SPD
Minister of Foreign Affairs		Frank-Walter Steinmeier	22 November 2005	27 October 2009	SPD
Minister of Labour and Social Affairs		Franz Müntefering	22 November 2005	21 November 2007	SPD
		Olaf Scholz	21 November 2007	27 October 2009	SPD
Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety		Sigmar Gabriel	22 November 2005	27 October 2009	SPD
Minister of Economics and Technology		Michael Glos	22 November 2005	10 February 2009	CSU
		Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg	10 February 2009	27 October 2009	CSU
Minister of Defence		Franz Josef Jung	22 November 2005	27 October 2009	CDU
Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth		Ursula von der Leyen	22 November 2005	Merkel II	CDU
Minister for Special Tasks and Head of the Chancellery		Thomas de Maizière	22 November 2005	27 October 2009	CDU
Minister of the Interior		Wolfgang Schäuble	22 November 2005	27 October 2009	CDU
Minister of Education and Research		Annette Schavan	22 November 2005	Merkel II	CDU
Minister of Health		Ulla Schmidt	12 January 2001	27 October 2009	SPD
Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection		Horst Seehofer	22 November 2005	31 October 2008	CSU
		Ilse Aigner	31 October 2008	Merkel II	CSU
Minister of Finance		Peer Steinbrück	22 November 2005	27 October 2009	SPD
Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs		Wolfgang Tiefensee	22 November 2005	27 October 2009	SPD
Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development		Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul	27 October 1998	28 October 2009	SPD
Minister of Justice		Brigitte Zypries	22 October 2002	27 October 2009	SPD

Formation of the grand coalition

Neither the coalitions of the CDU/CSU and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) nor the ruling SPD and Alliance '90/The Greens had the vote of a majority of members of the Bundestag following the 2005 federal election, so the CDU/CSU and SPD decided to form the second grand coalition in the history of the federal republic.[2] Both CDU/CSU and SPD achieved a similar percentage of votes at the election (35.2% and 34.2%, respectively),[5] so they decided that each would receive eight cabinet seats (with six for the CDU and two for the CSU). On 13 October the SPD announced their future ministers and on 17 October the CDU/CSU announced theirs.[6]

Edmund Stoiber of the CSU was to become the Federal Minister of Economics and Technology, but refused the post on 1 November after a conflict with Angela Merkel over the abilities of the minister to succeed him, and chose to continue his state-level role in Bavaria.[7]

The coalition agreement (Koalitionsvertrag), titled Together for Germany. With courage and humanity, was signed and accepted by the congress of the CDU, CSU, and SPD on 12, 13, and 14 November.[3] Angela Merkel was elected Chancellor of Germany on 22 November 2005 by 397 votes to 202. From that date the cabinet was officially in power.[8]

See also

• Cabinet of Germany

References

1. http://dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btp/16/16003.pdf
2. "Analysis: German Coalition Deal". BBC News. 15 November 2005. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
3. "Merkel to succeed Germany's Schröder". Washington Post. 11 October 2005. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
4. "Merkel's new cabinet sworn in". DW. 30 October 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
5. "Election to the 16th German Bundestag of 18 September 2005". Federal Returning Officer. Archived from the original on 7 September 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
6. "Basic Agreement for Coalition Negotiations between CDU/CSU and SPD" (PDF). Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
7. "Edmund Stoiber". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
8. "Merkel sworn in as German chancellor". The Guardian. 22 November 2005. Retrieved 1 August 2015.

External links

• Official English names of German ministers and ministries (German Foreign Office)
• "Gemeinsam für Deutschland. Mit Mut und Menschlichkeit" (PDF) (in German). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 February 2007. (659 KiB), the agreement of the coalition of 12 November 2005 between the CDU, CSU and SPD.
• "English translation of the coalition agreement" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 October 2006. Retrieved 8 August 2007. (541 KiB), from the SPD official website.