After a messy public quarrel, Martin Schulz will not seek to become German foreign minister. The SPD's publicity disaster tarnishes the reputation of the country's political class at large, says DW's Katharina Kroll.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/P. Stollarz
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It's been a veritable political roller coaster ride. On Wednesday, the Social Democrat's (SPD) leader Martin Schulz looked like a winner after successfully negotiating with and getting Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), to agree to numerous concessions. At it stands, the SPD will be in charge of the Labour and Finance Ministries if a coalition government is formed. And Schulz himself had looked set to become Germany's next foreign minister. But now, the former European Parliament president is suddenly on the outside looking in. He will step down as SPD leader, and now he no longer wants to become foreign minister, either. So what happened?
Martin Schulz has dragged his party through a number of political u-turns and strategic blunders. His latest gamble — seeking to retain some political capital by stepping down as SPD leader but aiming to becoming Germany's foreign minster — has failed. The ambitious former SPD leader and incumbent foreign minister, Sigmar Gabriel, very much intends to keep his position in the next government.
When friends become foes
In a recent interview, Gabriel expressed anger and contempt at the political ploy by Schulz — a man whom he once considered a friend. "This morning, my little daughter Marie told me: 'Daddy, don't be sad, now you'll have more time for us. That's better than spending time with the man with the hairy face,'" he said, his daughter referring to the bearded Schulz.
DW's Katharina KrollImage: K. Kroll
The media ran with that quote, and it became a major talking point in the German capital, Berlin. Gabriel expressed his scorn by quoting his own daughter — making politics looks like a cheap, amateurish play. It's a quote that sheds light on the inner workings of the SPD. It tarnishes the party's reputation and paints a bad picture of Germany's political scene in general.
It was also a blow that Schulz could not recover from. And now, humiliated, he has declared he does not, after all, want to serve as Germany's next foreign minister. Schulz is hoping that stepping aside will finally lay to rest the wrangling within the SPD over who will get a minister post. He is hoping his fellow party members will now agree to the coalition deal with the CDU/CSU. The vote represents a big hurdle that needs to be overcome before a new government can be formed. Schulz' decision not to serve in a future Cabinet may temporarily restore peace in his party. But nobody knows for sure whether SPD members will actually approve the coalition agreement. The move to begin formal coalition talks was only narrowly approved at a party conference last month.
Merkel may face uncertain future
Schulz no longer has the full backing of his party. The winds have changed. Just one year ago, he was unanimously elected SPD leader. Now, the party seems to have turned its back on him. The SPD's remaining leaders must somehow regain the support of its members. It's a formidable challenge. And it remains to be seen whether this can actually be done by March 4, the day when Social Democrats vote to either approve or in fact reject the coalition deal. If they say "no," the SPD will find itself in a quagmire, as will Angela Merkel.
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.
