Talk:Cabinet of Germany

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[edit] Merkel cabinet

The list under Merkel cabinet is inconsistent with the news I have read about the coalition agreement. In particular, reports stated (eg. NYT)that the Ministership for Economics and Labor was to be split into two posts, with the Finance post going to Stoiber, and the Labor post going to the SPD. Where did the information for the current table come from? --- Charles Stewart 01:46, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

I have read several stories which indicate that SPD will get finance, foreign affiars, justice and labor while Stoiber will get the "economy ministry". It is conceivable that Stoiber is intended to get a ministry as a result of a split of the existing Economics and Labor portfolio however I have not seen any mention of this in any of the coverage I have read. Perhaps you could provide a link to the article in which such a split is reported? Here is the most recent link backing up the above from Reuters it refers to SPD in Labor and Stoiber in an "economy and technology" portfolio but it is unclear whether this is an evolution of the exisiting Economic Development portfolio or a split of Economics and Labor. In my mind, it is best for us to assume no chance in the structures of ministries unless there is a source that says otherwise - Jord 13:09, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Mea cupla. After reading the new article I posted above, which I had not yet read, it is clear that SPD will continue to hold the economic development & cooperation ministry thus Stoiber must indeed be getting a ministry created out of Economics and Labour. I have changed the article to reflect this. - Jord 13:24, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

A search for "stoiber economics-minister" gives dozens of hits confirming this appointment. The detail about the split of the economics and labor ministry I read in the New York Times, and I can't find a URL for the story (it is probably not open anymore), and in the Financial Times via LexisNexis (Oct 11, Gerrit Wiesmann, Horse-trading is still far from over), which has lots of detail on the agreement. FT doesn't open much of its content to non-subscribers, though, I'm afraid. --- Charles Stewart 14:47, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

[edit] FT quote

Why don't I just quote some of the article? From the Financial Times article I cited above:

One crucial aspect of the agreement was the distribution of portfolios between the parties. In addition to the chancellery and the chancellery's chief of staff - a post that is being upgraded to a full cabinet portfolio - the CDU and the Christian Social Union, its Bavarian sister party, are to receive six portfolios.

The economics ministry will be stripped of its labour market element and renamed the economics and innovation ministry. The new portfolio, which will go to Edmund Stoiber, the CSU chairman, will also spearhead European Union negotiations in industry policy.

The CDU and CSU will also run the defence, interior affairs, consumer protection and agriculture, education and research, and family ministries.

The SPD's portfolios will include foreign policy, finance, a new labour and social security portfolio carved out of the old economics and health ministries, development, justice, environment, transport, and the new health ministry amputated from its social security component.

Among the most urgent decisions to be made is the staffing of the ministries, which an SPD spokeswoman said should become clear about halfway through the coalition negotiations.

The distribution of the portfolios is particularly controversial within the SPD, where the left and right wings of the party are battling for influence. Some of the names of possible SPD ministers being floated yesterday - Peer Steinbruck, the former state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Ulla Schmidt and Brigitte Zypries, respectively social security and justice ministers in the outgoing government - could be unacceptable to the left. "I would be very careful with all these names," a member of the SPD's Prasidium (the party's 13-strong executive) told the Financial Times yesterday. "Nothing, absolutely nothing is clear right now."

CDU/CSU ministers are likely to include former CDU leader Wolfgang Schauble and CSU vice-chairman Horst Seehofer. Ms Merkel is also lining up two of her close female allies in regional governments - Annette Schavan and Ursula von der Leyen - as education and family ministers respectively.

Hope it's interesting. --- Charles Stewart 14:50, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Interesting indeed. As I indicated in my "mea cupla" above, I had already split the economics and labour portfolios on the main page before you posted these articles. - Jord 14:52, 13 October 2005 (UTC)