CSU's Horst Seehofer confirms he will join Merkel's cabinet
March 1, 2018
The Bavarian politician will head from Munich to Berlin to take up the reins of the newly-renamed Interior Ministry. That is, as long as the proposed grand coalition government gets approved by SPD members.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Balk
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Horst Seehofer, the head of the conservative Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), announced that he will "definitely" come onboard a future grand coalition government as the interior minister, according to an interview published in the Friday edition of Germany's national daily Bild.
His statement laid to rest rumors that he might not take up the position due to differences with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), the potential government partners of Angela Merkel, over the policy areas his ministry would oversee.
"When the SPD party members vote accordingly, I will definitely switch to the federal cabinet," Seehofer said.
A future grand coalition government between the Union parties, the CDU and the CSU, and the SPD, depends on the approval of SPD members, who voted via mail on the proposed coalition agreement. The results are expected Sunday, March 4.
Seehofer's CSU is the sister party of Merkel's CDUImage: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Pedersen
Disputes resolved
Seehofer's confirmation that he would head to Berlin came after a meeting on Thursday afternoon with Merkel, the provisional head of the SPD, Olaf Scholz, and the SPD's leader of its parliamentary group, Andrea Nahles, as well as other top politicians from the CDU and CSU.
Their discussion revolved around the areas which Seehofer would oversee in his ministry, newly renamed the Interior, Construction and Homeland ("Heimat") Ministry. SPD representatives agreed that construction would be transferred from the Environment to the Interior Ministry.
The Interior Ministry is currently responsible for federal security forces, federal domestic intelligence and more generally, for protection of Germany's constitutional order.
Seehofer and the CSU have been critical of Merkel's migration policies. The decision to expand the name of the Interior Ministry to include the word homeland unleashed criticism from those who felt the term implied the exclusion of those people living in Germany who come from different cultural backgrounds.
Merkel's cabinet takes shape - who's in and out at Germany's ministries
Reaching agreement on who should run particular ministries is one of the headaches that make coalition talks so long and torturous. Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats have had to make considerable concessions.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/R. Hirschberger
Shifting responsibilities
There are five "classic ministries" in Germany's government – Finance, Foreign, Interior, Justice and Defense. Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) are ceding direct control of two of them. One, finance, is to change from right to left of the political divide, moving from CDU to Social Democrat (SPD) hands. Other switches are likely in less prominent portfolios.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/R. Hirschberger
Major prize changes hands
The transfer of the Finance Ministry from CDU hands to the SPD is the biggest surprise of the deal. The minister plays a major role at the European level as evidenced by the CDU’s Wolfgang Schäuble during the eurozone sovereign debt crisis. Hamburg Mayor Olaf Scholz, a centrist within the SPD, will likely get the title of deputy chancellor in addition to finance minister.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/K. Nietfeld
Bavaria to take home ministry
The Interior Ministry, which deals with law and order within Germany, looks set to stay in the hands of Merkel’s conservatives, but not her own CDU. Touted for the position is the leader of Bavarian sister party the CSU, Horst Seehofer (left). The Bavarian party has taken a tougher line than Merkel on immigration. The conservatives suffered losses to the far-right AfD in September's election.
Image: Reuters/M. Rehle
Who will be Germany's top diplomat?
Under the deal, the SPD will keep control of the Foreign Ministry. Since 1966, the ministry has been run by a member of smaller coalition partners. Sigmar Gabriel has been in the role in a caretaker capacity since Frank-Walter Steinmeier was elected president. Martin Schulz (above), a former leader of the European Parliament, was expected to take over but pulled out in a bid to quell party unrest.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/O. Andersen
Growing profile of defense
The CDU’s Ursula von der Leyen, a key ally of Merkel who is thought to have her own ambitions to become chancellor, is likely to remain in her role at the helm of the Defense Ministry. The ministry has had a growing importance in recent decades as Germany became more involved in foreign military operations. In particular, the Bundeswehr maintains a significant deployment of troops in Afghanistan.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Images/J. Macdougall
Justice unlikely to change hands
Typically a portfolio that goes to the junior coalition partner, responsibility for the Justice Ministry may well stay with the current incumbent — the SPD’s Heiko Maas. While individual states in Germany are generally responsible for the administration of justice, the federal ministry is charged with making and changing constitution-related laws. It also analyzes laws made by other ministries.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Economic compensation
Helping to make up for the CDU losing two major offices, the CDU will get its hands on the Economy Ministry, also responsible for energy policy. Merkel's right hand in the chancellery Peter Altmaier (pictured) — who has also been running the Finance Ministry since the departure of Wolfgang Schäuble — is expected to take over from the SPD's Brigitte Zypries.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/M. Gambarini
New girl on the block
The favorite to take over at the top of the Ministry of Agriculture is the CDU’s Julia Klöckner, who leads the party in the western state of Rhineland Palatinate. Having twice failed in her bid to become state premier there, she'll be one of the relatively rare new faces in Berlin.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/G. Fischer
Change of track
The CSU will also retain the Transport Ministry with CSU Secretary-General Andreas Scheuer, from Lower Bavaria, taking charge. He’d also be responsible for digital infrastructure. The party will hold onto the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, with undersecretary in the Transport Ministry Dorothee Bär set to take the reins from current Development Minister Gerd Müller.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/R. Vennenbernd
Health in same party hands
The Health Ministry remains a CDU concern, with Annette Widmann-Mauz, an undersecretary in the ministry from Baden Württemberg, expected to take over. She’d replace fellow CDU member Hermann Gröhe, who is touted to head up the Federal Ministry for Education and Research.
