Monday, December 6, 2021

Entire Cabinet of Scholz Coalition Announced

 Chancellor vote will occur Wed, but they wrapped up the names this morning:

Chancellor: Scholz (SPD)

Labor and Social Affairs Minister:  Hubertus Heil (SPD).  For the past five years, he's had the job, and done well at it.  One of the more capable people on the cabinet.

Building Minister (new position): Klara Geywitz (SPD).  Basically a job to get public housing charged up and built.  Lot of expectations, and serious potential for failures.  

Interior Minister: SPD regional politician from Hessen: Nancy Faeser.  Most of her background has been legal, economic affairs, transport and energy.  If you had to pick the most unknown person for the cabinet, she's probably that person.

Defense Minister: Christine Lambrecht (SPD) (formerly Justice Minister).  The job itself is a magnet for trouble, and there probably be a month to go by where some new problem has erupted for her to handle.  

Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development: Svenja Schulze (SPD).  Formerly the Environmental Minister.

Chief of Staff for the Chancellor: Wolfgang Schmidt (SPD).

Health Minister: Karl Lauterbach (SPD).  There are two general positions on Lauterbach....either you really like him as a health-doctor expert.....or you hate him with tremendous passion.  For the future, I'll predict he's a magnet for news media attention and likely not to last the four years.  

Foreign Minister: Annalena Baerbock (Greens).  Probably the least qualified person on the cabinet for the job required.  She will be another magnet for the news media to draw upon, and her comments will require a lot of 'walking-back'.

Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection/Vice Chancellor:  Robert Habeck (Greens).  

Family Minister: Anne Spiegel (Greens)

Environment Minister: Steffi Lemke (Greens)

Minister of Agriculture: Cem Özdemir (Greens).  Probably the most qualified of the cabinet for his position.  Likeable and agreeable.

Finance Minister: Christian Lindner.  (FDP).   Very capable for the work, and able to stand in front of the news media to answer tough questions. 

Transport Minister: Volker Wissing (FDP).

Justice Minister: Marco Buschmann (FDP).

Education Minister: Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP).

Final comment:  It was rare under Merkel that cabinet officials were forced to leave or get fired.  In this case, I think at least two will be gone by the second year point.  

1 comment:

Daz said...

"Finance Minister: Christian Lindner. (FDP). Very capable for the work, and able to stand in front of the news media to answer tough questions. "

You forgot to add that he'll answer inaccurately. If anyone is scared to actually govern, it's Lindner, far happier criticizing everything than putting 'solutions' forward.