Merkel is not leaving yet, or What will happen in Germany after the elections | Analysis of events in political life and society in Germany | DW

After the completion of the counting of votes in the elections to the Bundestag, it became clear how many mandates the deputies of one or another party would receive in the new German parliament. However, it will not be possible to find out the name of the next chancellor of the FRG before the new government of the country is formed. Until then, Angela Merkel will continue to serve as head of the cabinet.

The period for which the parties must decide on the composition of the new government is not formally limited. So, theoretically, Merkel will still be able to celebrate Christmas as chancellor. Moreover, if she retains the post of head of the German government at least until December 18, 2021, she will break Helmut Kohl’s record for the length of time in this position, which is 5869 days.

Powers of the outgoing chancellor after the elections

In the early days after the elections, Angela Merkel will be able to continue to carry out all the usual duties of the chancellor. These include, for example, questions about candidates for certain government posts. So – again, purely theoretically – she may well still remove someone from the departing ministers who continue to fulfill their duties and appoint a new one.

Chancellor of the Chancellor of the Merkel party – Armin Lashet

Merkel must also be present at all events involving the participation of the German Chancellor. Most likely, the new German government will not be formed until the end of October. This means that Merkel is also likely to represent the country at the G20 summit in Rome.

Gifts to the Chancellor belong to the state

The Chancellor, leaving his post after the elections, cannot take with him the gifts he received during his tenure as the head of the German government. This is prohibited by the so-called “law on ministers”, which regulates the legal status of government employees in Germany. According to this document, all gifts received by the Chancellor as an official, and not a private person, are the property of the state.

Merkel’s desk is the property of the state

The same applies to the desk and chair in the Chancellor’s office, as well as the works of art that the state provides to decorate this office. At the same time, Merkel will be able to continue to work in the Chancellor’s office until the name of her successor is determined.

Germany’s new parliament

According to the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany, the first meeting of the newly elected parliament must take place no later than 30 days from the day of elections. Meanwhile, the fitters begin a new arrangement of seats in the plenary hall immediately after the Federal Election Commission approves the official election results and the powers of all the deputies of the new Bundestag.

Olaf Scholz’s party won the most votes in the elections

By the way, this year the parliamentary seats will have to be added: after all, the number of members of the Bundestag, due to the peculiarities of the German electoral system, in 2021 increased to 735. For comparison: in the Bundestag, elected in September 2017, there were 709 deputies.

Four years ago, when the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party first entered the federal parliament, no other party wanted the seats for its faction members to sit side by side with those of the right-wing populists. These disagreements then led to additional delays.

Negotiations on the composition of a possible ruling coalition

Negotiations between the parties that entered parliament on the possible composition of the new government is perhaps the most difficult task for politicians immediately after the elections.

Typically, the chancellor (or lead candidate) of the party with the highest number of popular votes will be eligible to initiate these negotiations. However, this year the results of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the CDU / CSU bloc differ so insignificantly that both candidates for chancellor are going to use the right to start negotiations with possible coalition partners in the Bundestag: Olaf Scholz from the SPD and Armin Laschet (Armin Laschet) from the CDU / CSU.

On the evening of election day, both Scholz and Laschet openly announced on television that they would not agree to lead a faction of their party (or bloc) in parliament and intend to negotiate the creation of a ruling coalition in the role of party chairmen.

Coalition of three parties

Unlike the United States or the United Kingdom, where one party usually gets the absolute majority in an election, in Germany the party with the most votes generally requires a coalition partner to form a government. This time, most likely, even two partners.

After the election, the seats in the plenary hall of the Bundestag must be arranged in a new way

Apparently, after the electoral failure of the “left” party, the “greens” and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) will play a decisive role in the formation of the new cabinet. At the same time, the political priorities of liberals and “greens” differ so much that it will most likely take a long time to decide with which of the so-called popular parties (Volksparteien) – SPD and CDU / CSU – they want to unite to create a government.

Who chooses the Chancellor of Germany

The head of state in Germany is the federal president. After the elections of the new Bundestag, he assesses the balance of power in parliament and nominates for the post of chancellor the candidate who, in the president’s opinion, has the greatest chances of being elected to this position by the deputies of the Bundestag. When nominated, parliamentarians can vote on this issue up to three times.

See also:

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  Multifaceted Merkel

  Euro or whip?

  In 2011, at the height of the European debt crisis, the Spanish satirical magazine El Jueves portrayed the German Chancellor as a domina. “Brand or whip?” she asks Mariano Rajoy, who at that time served as head of the Spanish government. “How it goes,” he whimpers back. In a cartoon, the magazine wanted to say that the conditions for Spain to receive financial assistance were too strict.

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  Multifaceted Merkel

  Comparison with Hitler

  Greece also found itself at the epicenter of the European debt crisis. The country could not survive without financial assistance. Angela Merkel promised assistance, but in return demanded austerity measures. The Greek press, such as the daily newspaper Demokratie of February 9, 2012, draws parallels with the German occupation of Greece during World War II.

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  Multifaceted Merkel

  Merkel in a concentration camp

  Allusions to the “Third Reich” appear in Polish newspapers as well. In 2013, the right-wing weekly Uwazam Rze portrayed Merkel as a concentration camp prisoner. The occasion was a German television film about the events of World War II. In Poland, it was perceived as a violation of historical truth how the film showed the Polish Home Army and how the Germans were presented.

• 

  Multifaceted Merkel

  Pokerface in Beijing

  An impenetrable face and a piercing gaze – this is how this Chinese magazine portrayed Angela Merkel in December 2011, which speaks of a certain respect for the German Chancellor. The issue came out on the eve of Merkel’s visit to China, where she discussed China’s role in stabilizing the eurozone with Premier Wen Jiabao.

• 

  Multifaceted Merkel

  Terminator Merkel

  The image of an all-powerful politician is firmly stuck to Merkel. In June 2012, the British political magazine New Statesman portrayed the German Chancellor as the Terminator from the action movie of the same name with Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to the magazine, Merkel is the most dangerous German leader since Adolf Hitler – and more dangerous than rulers like Kim Jong-un.

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  Multifaceted Merkel

  Kind Angela

  In 2015, Merkel’s image changed dramatically. After Hungary refused to accept Syrian refugees and the threat of a humanitarian catastrophe arose, Merkel made a fateful decision: she opened the borders of Germany for refugees. Her phrase “We can handle it!” went down in history and brought Merkel great popularity, especially abroad.

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  Multifaceted Merkel

  It’s a pity that not a Frenchwoman

  The harsh image of Angela Merkel during the crisis of the European crisis is a thing of the past. Now the international press is highlighting her humanity. In 2015, the French magazine Le Point came out with the headline: “The incredible Madame Merkel. If only she were French …” and states her metamorphosis from “strict” to “generous” Madame.

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  Multifaceted Merkel

  Chancellor of the Free World

  In 2015, Time Magazine named Angela Merkel “Person of the Year” and named her “Chancellor of the Free World.” She uses her mercy as a weapon, the publication says. Northern Irish artist Colin Davidson, whose portrait of Merkel adorns the cover, tried to capture “the Chancellor’s dignity, mercy and humanity.”

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  Multifaceted Merkel

  Deja vu from Poland

  Compassion and humanity still refuse to see Polish media in Angela Merkel. The weekly magazine Wpros was published in January 2016 under the headline “They want to control Poland again”. The photomontage with the German Chancellor, surrounded by important EU representatives, such as the then European Commission President Juncker, resembles a historical photograph of Hitler and his retinue.

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  Multifaceted Merkel

  A critical look from the inside

  In Germany, Angela Merkel’s image has been significantly tarnished as a result of her stance on refugees. In the 2017 elections, her CDU party lost many votes in favor of the right-wing conservative AfD. The Germans began to discuss a Jamaica coalition that Christian parties with liberals and greens could form. This is how the pages of German newspapers and magazines looked at that time.

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  Multifaceted Merkel

  End of an era

  In the 2021 elections, Angela Merkel decided not to participate. She voluntarily leaves the political arena after 16 years at the head of the German government. In the press and in books, you can often read about the end of the “era” now, as, for example, in the biography written by Ursula Weidenfeld.

  Author: Bettina Bauman, Ella Volodina

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