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WEEKLY
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| German politicians agree to form govt |
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Sunday, October 25, 2009
BERLIN: Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday finished building a new centre-right government for Germany and announced an overhaul of the health care system, more help for families and annual tax cuts of up to euro24 billion.
Merkel said the coalition of her Christian Democrats, their Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union and the pro-business Free Democrats are capable of solving the country’s problems following their victory in last month’s parliamentary elections. Guido Westerwelle, the leader of the Free Democrats, said at a joint news conference with Merkel that he wants all nuclear weapons to be pulled out of Germany an issue that may prove vexing to the country’s Nato allies, including the US. Merkel made no immediate pledge on that issue.
The coalition agreement is expected to be approved and signed on Monday. The chancellor announced some new members of her new cabinet, while Westerwelle confirmed the Free Democrats’ ministers later on Saturday. Westerwelle himself will take over the posts of foreign minister and vice chancellor, as widely expected. The Health Ministry will go to the youngest minister in the Cabinet, 36-year-old Philipp Roesler of the Free Democrats.
The new Economics Minister will be Rainer Bruedele, Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger will be in charge of the Justice Ministry and Dirk Niebel will head the Ministry for Development. All three are members of the Free Democrats.
Merkel had said earlier on Saturday that current Economy Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg will become the defence minister tasked with handling Germany’s unpopular mission in Afghanistan. Hereplaces Franz Josef Jung, who is to take over at the Labour Ministry.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
