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German parliament confirms Angel Merkel for new term | German parliament confirms Angel Merkel for new term |
(35 minutes later) | |
Angela Merkel has been confirmed as German chancellor for a third term, at the head of a grand coalition, by a vote in the Bundestag (parliament). | |
The coalition between her centre-right CDU/CSU bloc and the Social Democrats (SPD) has a huge majority, with 504 of the 631 seats in the lower house. | |
Mrs Merkel was confirmed by 462 votes, with nine abstentions. | |
Germany's tough stance on fiscal discipline is unlikely to change under the new coalition. | |
The SPD's membership voted on Sunday to back the coalition after painstaking negotiations. | |
The party hammered out a minimum national wage, an hourly rate of 8.50 euros (£7.11; $11.55) that will come into force for the first time in 2015. | |
The new government will be slightly to the left of the previous one, in which the Christian Democrats/Christian Social Union were in coalition with the market-oriented Free Democrats (FDP), the BBC's Steve Evans reports from Berlin. | The new government will be slightly to the left of the previous one, in which the Christian Democrats/Christian Social Union were in coalition with the market-oriented Free Democrats (FDP), the BBC's Steve Evans reports from Berlin. |
But the SPD will form a minority part of the government and no-one doubts that Chancellor Merkel will be in charge, our correspondent says. | But the SPD will form a minority part of the government and no-one doubts that Chancellor Merkel will be in charge, our correspondent says. |
As the EU's most industrialised and populous state, with its biggest economy, Germany dominates decision-making for the eurozone. | As the EU's most industrialised and populous state, with its biggest economy, Germany dominates decision-making for the eurozone. |
New faces | New faces |
For Tuesday's vote, 621 members of the Bundestag were present, of whom 150 voted against Mrs Merkel. | |
Between them, the Left Party and the Greens have 127 seats, so at least 23 of those who rejected her nomination were from the parties making up the new coalition. | |
The coalition talks had been the longest for any German government since since World War 2. | |
The CDU/CSU and SPD finally signed the deal, a 185-page agreement entitled "Shaping Germany's Future", late last month. | The CDU/CSU and SPD finally signed the deal, a 185-page agreement entitled "Shaping Germany's Future", late last month. |
Mrs Merkel was obliged to turn to the SPD after the FDP failed to win any seats in the 22 September election, falling short of the 5% hurdle to enter the Bundestag. | Mrs Merkel was obliged to turn to the SPD after the FDP failed to win any seats in the 22 September election, falling short of the 5% hurdle to enter the Bundestag. |
Trusted Merkel ally Wolfgang Schaeuble will remain finance minister in the new government, one of 10 CDU/CSU politicians in the 16-strong cabinet. | Trusted Merkel ally Wolfgang Schaeuble will remain finance minister in the new government, one of 10 CDU/CSU politicians in the 16-strong cabinet. |
"His name stands for euro stability and I'm glad that he's continuing," Mrs Merkel said after news of the new line-up emerged. | "His name stands for euro stability and I'm glad that he's continuing," Mrs Merkel said after news of the new line-up emerged. |
Other CDU/CSU picks include Ursula von der Leyen as defence minister and Thomas de Maiziere as interior minister. | Other CDU/CSU picks include Ursula von der Leyen as defence minister and Thomas de Maiziere as interior minister. |
For the SPD, party chairman Sigmar Gabriel will become economy minister and deputy chancellor, while Frank-Walter Steinmeier will be foreign minister. | For the SPD, party chairman Sigmar Gabriel will become economy minister and deputy chancellor, while Frank-Walter Steinmeier will be foreign minister. |