The legal process for the transfer of power has begun in Germany
On March 25, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier accepted the resignation of Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the 14 ministers of his «traffic light» coalition government. The formal ceremony took place at Schloss Bellevue in the center of Berlin. In accordance with legal procedures, these ministers will continue to serve in an acting capacity for the next few weeks.
Steinmeier, who left the Social Democrats after his election as President (as required by law), warmly thanked Scholz (SPD) and his team for their work.
According to Article 69 of the Basic Law, the Chancellor and the ministers ceased to hold office on the day the new Bundestag convened. The first session took place on March 25.
Parliament elected 52-year-old Julia Klöckner of the victorious CDU as its president. She received 382 votes out of 630, with 204 votes against, 31 abstentions, and five spoiled ballots.
Notably, Klöckner’s new position is second in importance only to the Federal President. She is the fourth woman in German history to hold the position. A member of parliament since 2002, Klöckner has no shortage of experience; she served as agriculture minister from 2018 to 2021.
A scandal erupted during this very first session. The new Bundestag has five parliamentary groups instead of six. Normally, each faction is entitled to one vice-presidential seat. But lawmakers rejected the candidate from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) — the second-largest party — three times in a row. Only his party colleagues supported Gerold Otten, leaving Klöckner without a fifth deputy. This move signals that the AfD, widely considered to be ultra-right, is condemned to pariah status for the next four years. The so-called «democratic firewall» has been erected, preventing mainstream parties from cooperating with nationalists who, in their view, evoke the specter of Hitler.
What remains on the agenda is the conclusion of talks to form a «GroKo» (grand coalition) of conservatives and social democrats, the election of a chancellor — likely to be CDU leader Friedrich Merz — and the approval of his proposed cabinet. The new head of government has promised to have everything wrapped up by Easter, which falls on April 20 this year.
Merz has already begun to take the reins. With his approval, the «debt brake» mechanism enshrined in the Basic Law has been reinterpreted. This fiscal rule is intended to stabilize debt and curb excessive borrowing. The aim is to create a special fund of 500 billion euros over the next ten years for infrastructure projects — repairing roads, bridges and schools — and to provide unprecedented funding for the rearmament of the Bundeswehr (around 400 billion euros). A two-thirds majority was required to amend the constitution. Since the AfD and the Left Party have a so-called «blocking minority» in the new parliament, the proposal would not have passed. So Merz and his allies resorted to a legislative maneuver to rush it through with the outgoing Bundestag. Quite democratic, wouldn’t you say?
«The whole world is watching Germany these days. In the European Union and beyond, we bear a responsibility that extends far beyond our own borders and concerns not only the prosperity of our people», Merz said in defense of the massive spending. He said the spending was necessary to meet current challenges, especially in the areas of security and foreign policy.
The new chancellor has already begun to make statements — so far cautious ones — on international issues. Of course, once confirmed, he will have to travel across the Atlantic to negotiate with Donald Trump. Merz has long been an advocate of transatlantic cooperation. For a full decade, he led the transatlantic organization «Atlantic Bridge», which focuses on strengthening U.S.-German relations. These days, however, his faith in a close partnership has been badly shaken. He has publicly stated that he is «shocked by Trump» and «appalled» by the way the U.S. president dressed down Zelensky at the White House. He objects to the fact that American peace efforts in Ukraine have relegated Europeans to mere spectators while Trump deals directly with Putin.
Merz insists on continuing to send arms to Ukraine. During the election campaign, he advocated supplying long-range TAURUS cruise missiles. How will this resolve play out against Trump’s efforts to de-escalate the Ukrainian crisis?
Merz doubts that the United States will remain as committed to its NATO obligations. Consequently, his «absolute priority» is for the Europeans to achieve independence from Washington as soon as possible.
He plans to discuss with France and the United Kingdom whether Germany — and indeed the whole of Europe — can count on their «nuclear umbrella».
Clearly, his inevitable face-to-face meeting with the current U.S. leader will not be a straightforward affair.