Second Merkel cabinet
| Second Angela Merkel Cabinet | |
|---|---|
52nd Cabinet of Germany | |
| 28 October 2009 – 17 December 2013 | |
 | |
| Date formed | 28 October 2009 |
| Date dissolved | 17 December 2013 |
| People and organizations | |
| Head of government | Angela Merkel |
| Head of state |
Horst Köhler Christian Wulff Joachim Gauck |
| Member party |
Christian Democratic Union Christian Social Union of Bavaria Free Democratic Party |
| Status in legislature | CDU led coalition government |
| Opposition party |
Social Democratic Party of Germany The Left The Greens |
| Opposition leader | Frank-Walter Steinmeier |
| History | |
| Election(s) | German federal election, 2009 |
| Legislature term(s) | 17th legislature of the Bundestag |
| Previous | Merkel I |
| Successor | Merkel III |
The second Merkel cabinet was the Government of Germany during the 17th legislative session of the Bundestag following the 2009 federal election, and left office on 17 December 2013. It was preceded in office by the first Merkel cabinet. Led by Chancellor Angela Merkel (the first female chancellor in German history), it is supported by a coalition of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU), and the Free Democratic Party (FDP).
The cabinet is now serving in the capacity as a caretaker government, following the 22 September 2013 elections; which saw the removal of the Free Democratic Party from the Bundestag and the consequent negotiations, between the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democratics (SDP), to form a new cabinet
It was succeeded by the Merkel III cabinet on 17 December 2013.
Composition
The current federal cabinet is composed of the following ministers:
| Office | Image | Incumbent | Party | In office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chancellor | |
Angela Merkel | CDU | 22 November 2005 – present |
| Vice-Chancellor | .jpg) |
Guido Westerwelle | FDP | 28 October 2009 – 18 May 2011 |
 |
Philipp Rösler | 18 May 2011 – 17 December 2013 | ||
| Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
Guido Westerwelle | FDP | 28 October 2009 – 17 December 2013 |
| Federal Minister of the Interior |  |
Thomas de Maizière | CDU | 28 October 2009 – 3 March 2011 |
 |
Hans-Peter Friedrich | CSU | 3 March 2011 – 17 December 2013 | |
| Federal Minister of Justice |  |
Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger | FDP | 28 October 2009 – 17 December 2013 |
| Federal Minister of Finance |  |
Wolfgang Schäuble | CDU | 28 October 2009 – present |
| Federal Minister of Economics and Technology |  |
Rainer Brüderle | FDP | 28 October 2009 – 12 May 2011 |
|
Philipp Rösler | 12 May 2011 – 17 December 2013 | ||
| Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs |  |
Franz Josef Jung | CDU | 28 October 2009 – 27 November 2009 |
 |
Ursula von der Leyen | 30 November 2009 – 17 December 2013 | ||
| Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection |  |
Ilse Aigner | CSU | 31 October 2008 – 30 September 2013 |
| Federal Minister of Defence |  |
Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg | CSU | 28 October 2009 – 3 March 2011 |
|
Thomas de Maizière | CDU | 3 March 2011 – 17 December 2013 | |
| Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth | |
Ursula von der Leyen | CDU | 22 November 2005 – 30 November 2009 |
 |
Kristina Schröder | 30 November 2009 – 17 December 2013 | ||
| Federal Minister of Health | |
Philipp Rösler | FDP | 28 October 2009 – 12 May 2011 |
 |
Daniel Bahr | 12 May 2011 – 17 December 2013 | ||
| Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs |  |
Peter Ramsauer | CSU | 28 October 2009 – 17 December 2013 |
| Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety |  |
Norbert Röttgen | CDU | 28 October 2009 – 22 May 2012 |
 |
Peter Altmaier | CDU | 22 May 2012 – 17 December 2013 | |
| Federal Minister of Education and Research |  |
Annette Schavan | CDU | 22 November 2005 – 14 February 2013 |
 |
Johanna Wanka | CDU | 14 February 2013 – present | |
| Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development |  |
Dirk Niebel | FDP | 28 October 2009 – 17 December 2013 |
| Federal Minister for Special Tasks, Head of the Chancellery |
 |
Ronald Pofalla | CDU | 28 October 2009 – 17 December 2013 |
Resignations, Dismissals, and Replacements
The second Merkel cabinet has been reshuffled several times. The first change occurred on 30 November 2009, when Franz Josef Jung resigned as Labour Minister amidst controversy surrounding the Kunduz airstrike, which happened while he was Defense Minister in the previous cabinet. He was succeeded by former Family Affairs Minister Ursula von der Leyen, who was in turn succeeded by Kristina Schröder.
On 3 March 2011, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg stepped down as Defense Minister following the discovery of plagiarized content in his doctoral dissertation. He was succeeded by former Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière, who was in turn succeeded by Hans-Peter Friedrich.
On 10 May 2011, Rainer Brüderle was elected as the FDP's parliamentary leader and resigned his position as Economics Minister. He was succeeded by former Health Minister Philipp Rösler, who was in turn succeeded by Daniel Bahr. On 13 May 2011, the FDP elected Rösler to succeed Guido Westerwelle as party chairman. Rösler was then named Vice-Chancellor on 16 May 2011, succeeding Westerwelle in this position as well. Westerwelle retained the position of Foreign Minister.
On 16 May 2012, Merkel requested that President Joachim Gauck dismiss Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen after the CDU's defeat in the North Rhine-Westphalia state election. Röttgen had been CDU chairman for that state. He was dismissed on 22 May 2012 and was succeeded as Environment Minister by Peter Altmaier.
On 5 February 2013, Annette Schavan was stripped of her doctorate by the University of Düsseldorf due to alleged plagiarism in her PhD thesis. She resigned on 9 February 2013 and was succeeded by Johanna Wanka.
See also
References
External links
- Cabinet of Germany (English)
- Federal Ministries of Germany (English)
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