A new era: Germany is about to meet its post-Merkel government.

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: New York Times


Olaf Scholz, who will be chancellor of Germany, in Berlin on Nov. 15.Credit...Annegret Hilse/Reuters


For the first time in 16 years, Germany will have a center-left government and a new chancellor, Olaf Scholz, a Social Democrat, whose job will be to fill the shoes of Angela Merkel, the woman who made Germany indispensable in Europe and the world. Three parties have been haggling under strict secrecy to hammer out a new government since the Sept. 26 election. After much anticipation, they are expected to announce their governing deal for the next four years at 3 p.m. Berlin time.

While the shape of the new administration was being negotiated up until the last minute, Mr. Scholz is expected to be sworn in early next month. He will immediately face a pressing roster of crises, including a pandemic that is spiraling quickly upward and border conflicts in Belarus and Ukraine.

It is the end of an era for Germany and for Europe. For over a decade, Ms. Merkel was not just chancellor of Germany but effectively the leader of Europe. She steered her country and the continent through successive crises and in the process helped Germany become Europe’s leading power for the first time in modern history.

Mr. Scholz’s center-left party, which narrowly won the September election, governed with Ms. Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats for three of her four terms. Mr. Scholz himself was her finance minister for the last four years. He will now lead an unusual three-way coalition with the progressive Greens and the smaller, pro-business Free Democrats.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/24/world/europe/germany-new-government.html

[hlthe2b]

1. I hope he will be a good Chancellor, but I think we are ALL going to miss Merkel.

He has some metaphorical "big shoes to fill."

[msfiddlestix]

2. ✔️

It's going to be interesting watching from a distant position, but close enough to observe with hope and support.

I don't know anything about his leadership skills or inclinations, but obviously competent enough to be where he is now.

I hope he isn't in Deutsche Bank's pockets, and isn't inclined to give cover to money launderers

[Busikorn]

3. I really liked Merkel

I really liked Merkel and the way she handled things. I will miss her.

[hobby10113]

4. Why can't the Rethuglicans be more like her party the CDU.

For a conservative she was smart with the pandemic. She actuality cared about people for the most part. The only thing that bugged me about her was the way she and the EU treated Greece with the austerity policies during the aftermath of the great recession.

[DFW]

5. Don't confuse the English word conservative with the Republicanese word (spelled the same way)

Barack Obama also governed in a conservative manner. He was deliberate, somewhat risk-averse, cautious, and preferred to think things out before acting. That describes Angela Merkel as well. Obama was conservative, but never « a conservative, » as defined in Republicanese.

In Republicanese, «a conservative » just means « extremist right wing asshole. » The two should not be confused.

[DFW]

6. Merkel, for all her acquired political skill, was never a bureaucrat

Scholz, for all his government experience, is a typical bureaucrat, which has always led Germany either nowhere, or downhill.

Merkel’s success came because she never learned to become a bureaucrat. Scholz will only be a success if he learns how NOT to be one. I have heard that quitting smoking is far easier.