The 63-year-old Social Democrat received 395 votes in favor of the 736 Bundestag deputies, who were elected in the September 26 elections.
Scholz took the oath, together with his government and before the deputies, reading article 56 of the Basic Law, in which he promises to “devote his forces to the good of the German people.”
In the legislative session, Merkel was honored and fired standing to the applause of those present.
Emergent
Scholz, whose social democratic party SPD won 206 seats in the legislature, will be supported by the Greens (118) and the liberals of the FDP (92), who form the new coalition in power.
With a reputation for sobriety, the new chancellor was smiling as he received congratulations, bouquets of flowers and posed for photos.
A convinced feminist, Scholz will take the reins of a government composed for the first time in Germany by equal numbers of men and women.
Three of them will head key ministries: environmentalist Annalena Baerbock in Foreign Relations and Social Democrats Christine Lambrecht and Nancy Faeser in Defense and Interior, respectively.
Christian Lindner, a leader of the Liberals and a supporter of budget austerity, will take over the important Finance portfolio.
Environment
The newly launched coalition will have to face the worst health crisis since the appearance of covid-19, with hospitals under heavy pressure.
The wave of infections led the Government to impose harsh restrictions on the unvaccinated, who cannot enter restaurants, cultural places and, in some regions such as Berlin, shops.
Scholz will bear a “great responsibility” to fight the pandemic, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Wednesday.
“Let’s not let the pandemic divide us,” insisted the president, in a context of mobilization, especially from the extreme right, against health restrictions.
The strategy of the new executive goes through the obligatory nature of the vaccine, desired by Scholz and that could be applied from February or March.
In addition to the pandemic, the new head of Government will have to address, without a grace period, challenges such as climate change and the tension between the Western powers with Russia and China.
At home
Domestically, he will have to work to keep his heterogeneous coalition together. Indeed, the agreement is unclear about the financing of the promised measures, especially in investments in infrastructure and in the fight against climate change, with the forecast of leaving coal in 2030 and developing renewables.
The powerful automotive industry will need to accelerate its transformation. The parties want to have 15 million electric cars on the roads by 2030, against just over 500,000 today.
But at the same time, the liberals have reached a commitment to minimize public deficits and avoid a tax increase, especially in a context of accelerating inflation. This combination of factors makes it possible that tensions could quickly appear in the ruling party.
Source From: Ambito
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