Third Merkel cabinet

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Third Cabinet of Angela Merkel
Cabinet Merkel III
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22nd Cabinet of the Federal Republic of Germany
17 December 2013 – 24 October 2017
(until 14 March 2018 as caretaker government)
Angela Merkel. Tallinn Digital Summit.jpg
Date formed17 December 2013
Date dissolved14 March 2018
(4 years, 2 months, 3 weeks and 4 days)
People and organisations
President Joachim Gauck (until 18 March 2017)
Frank-Walter Steinmeier (from 19 March 2017)
Chancellor Angela Merkel
Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel
Member parties Christian Democratic Union
Social Democratic Party
Christian Social Union of Bavaria
Status in legislature Grand coalition
504 / 631 (80%)




Opposition parties The Left
The Greens
Opposition leader Gregor Gysi (2013–2015)
Sahra Wagenknecht (2015–2018)
Dietmar Bartsch (2015–2018)
History
Election 2013 federal election
Legislature terms 18th Bundestag
Predecessor Merkel II
Successor Merkel IV

The Third Merkel cabinet (German: Kabinett Merkel III) was the 23rd Government of the Federal Republic of Germany during the 18th legislative session of the Bundestag. Installed after the 2013 federal election, it left office on 14 March 2018. It was preceded by the second Merkel cabinet and succeeded by the fourth Merkel cabinet. [1] Led by Chancellor Angela Merkel. The government was supported by a coalition of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD). [2] [3] Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) replaced Philipp Rösler (FDP) as Vice Chancellor of Germany and became Federal Minister for Economics and Energy.

Contents

The CDU received five ministries in addition to the positions of Chancellor, as well as Chancellery Chief of Staff and Minister for Special Affairs. The SPD controlled six ministries and the CSU three. Although the CSU received a disproportionate share of ministries relative to its weight in the Bundestag, the six most powerful ministries were divided equally between the CDU and the SPD: the CDU controlled the ministries for finance, internal affairs and defense, while the SPD controlled the ministries for foreign affairs, economics and energy, as well as justice and consumer protection. [4]

The term of office of the third Merkel cabinet officially ended with the constitution of the 19th Bundestag on Tuesday, 24 October 2017. Merkel and her cabinet ministers received their discharge papers from the Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on the same day. In accordance with Article 69 of the German Constitution and at the request of the President of Germany, the cabinet remained in office as the caretaker government until a new government is formed. [5]

Third Merkel cabinet in the Bundestag, 2014 Bundesregierung (Tobias Koch).jpg
Third Merkel cabinet in the Bundestag, 2014

Composition

PortfolioMinisterTook officeLeft officeParty
Chancellor [6] 17 December 201314 March 2018  CDU
Vice Chancellor 17 December 201314 March 2018  SPD
Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs 17 December 201327 January 2017  SPD
Sigmar Gabriel
27 January 201714 March 2018  SPD
Federal Minister of the Interior 17 December 201314 March 2018  CDU
Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection 17 December 201314 March 2018  SPD
Federal Minister of Finance 17 December 201324 October 2017  CDU
Peter Altmaier
(Acting)
24 October 201714 March 2018 [7]   CDU
Federal Minister of Economics and Energy
Sigmar Gabriel
17 December 201327 January 2017  SPD
27 January 201714 March 2018  SPD
Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs 17 December 201328 September 2017  SPD
Katarina Barley
(Acting)
28 September 201714 March 2018  SPD
Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture 17 December 20137 February 2014  CSU
7 February 201414 March 2018  CSU
Federal Minister of Defense 17 December 201314 March 2018  CDU
Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth 17 December 20132 June 2017  SPD
2 June 201714 March 2018  SPD
Federal Minister of Health 17 December 201314 March 2018  CDU
Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure 17 December 201324 October 2017  CSU
Christian Schmidt
(Acting)
24 October 201714 March 2018  CSU
Federal Minister for the Environment,
Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety 		17 December 201314 March 2018  SPD
Federal Minister of Education and Research 17 December 201314 March 2018  CDU
Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation 17 December 201314 March 2018  CSU
Federal Minister of Special Affairs &
Head of the Chancellery
Peter Altmaier
17 December 201314 March 2018  CDU

    Caretaker government following the 2017 election

    After the German federal election held on Sunday, 24 September 2017, SPD leader Martin Schulz declared that the SPD had decided to be a part of the opposition during the next legislation period. [8] However, after coalition talks between the Union (CDU/CSU), FDP and the Greens failed, SPD politicians reconsidered, leading to coalition negotiations between the CDU/CSU and the SPD. On 8 February 2018, the negotiations resulted in a provisional agreement to form a grand coalition, [9] which was approved by the party members of the SPD and led to the formation of the new government on 14 March 2018.

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    References

    1. ↑ "Bundeskanzlerin und Bundeskabinett vereidigt" [Federal Chancellor and cabinet sworn in] (in German). Deutscher Bundestag . Retrieved 16 June 2014.
    2. ↑ based on Artikel 60 III of the Basic Law: Full text
    3. ↑ "Bundeskanzlerin und Bundeskabinett vereidigt" [Federal Chancellor and cabinet sworn in] (in German). Deutscher Bundestag . Retrieved 16 June 2014.
    4. ↑ Stephan Wallace (April 29, 2014), Commentary: Merkel's Third Government – Return of the Grand Coalition American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS) Washington, D.C.
    5. ↑ "Government continues as acting government". 24 October 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
    6. ↑ "Liste der Bundesministerinnen und Bundesminister".
    7. ↑ "Nicht gefunden - not found - Bundesfinanzministerium - Service".
    8. ↑ Stefan Kuzmany / spiegel.de: A New Germany, Spiegel.de.
    9. ↑ "Merkel Makes Painful Concessions to Form New Government". Spiegel Online. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
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