German Government Handover Schedule 22 Nov – Agency

Text of report by German news agency ddp on 21 November

Berlin: Over two months after the Bundestag election of 18 September, Germany will get a new government on Tuesday [22 November]. In the morning (10 a.m. [0900 gmt]), with CDU [Christian Democratic Union] chairman Angela Merkel, for the first time a woman will stand in the Bundestag for election to the office of chancellor. The 51-year-old is also the first person from the new [eastern] region to be a candidate for the office of head of government.

Merkel’s election is considered assured, yet there is great suspense whether, and possibly how many, parliamentarians of the Union [CDU/CSU] and SPD [Social Democratic Party of Germany] will refuse to vote for her. The grand coalition has a total of 448 parliamentarians; 308 votes are needed for the election of the head of government.

After the election, at noon (1200 p.m. [1100 gmt]) Merkel is to receive the certificate of appointment from President Horst Koehler in the Berlin Charlottenburg Palace; at 1400 p.m. [1300 gmt] she will swear her oath of office before the Bundestag. The handing over of certificates of appointment for the new federal ministers is scheduled for 1500 p.m. [1400 gmt]. At 1600 p.m. [1500 gmt], the cabinet ministers will swear their oaths of office in parliament.

Together with Merkel, eight Union politicians will be members of the future cabinet, as well as eight Social Democrats; three of each [political group] are women.

Departing head of government Gerhard Schroeder (SPD) will hand over to his successor his official duties around 1700 p.m. [1600 gmt] in the chancellery and the new government will assemble for its first cabinet meeting at 1900 p.m. [1800 gmt].