Süddeutsche Zeitung

[Dutchy]

​

 

[Dutchy]

September, 1998​

GRAND COALTION FORMED
Major parties forced to form a grand coalition, only the second in German history, after the federal elections of 1998 allow neither parties to form a traditional coalition. The SPD and CDU/CSU have formed a cabinet under the chancellorship of Gerhard Schröder, former Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who has previously led five cabinets from 1982-1998, is to become Minister of Foreign Affairs and Vice Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.

​

The 1998 Federal Election for the Bundestag has concluded, it was seen as a return to normal by political commentators, who state that the rise of the far-left in recent years has stabalised. The SPD has punished the reigning CDU/CSU government led by Helmut Kohl, with the sister parties losing 20 seats and allowing Gerhard Schröder a chance at the chancellorship. In a set back to the SPD, the rise of far-left Die Linke party has come at a cost of the Greens, and the Schröder will be unable to call upon his traditional ally to form a red-green coalition government. With none of the minor parties holding enough seats to give either the SPD or the CDU/CSU a majority government, the two major parties had been forced into bilateral negotiations.

After closed door negotiations, the newly elected Bundestag has returned for the first time and the President of the Federal Republic has put forward Gerhard Schröder as the Chancellor-candidate. The Bundestag has proceeded to vote upon Schröder in the form of a secret ballot. Schröder has managed to gain the support of a vast majority of the Bundestag, with both SPD and CDU/CSU delegates voting in favour of his chancellorship.

Chancellor Schröder has immediately released the details of his new cabinet which sees former Chancellor Helmut Kohl becoming the Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs. Other notable names include, Otto Schily, founding member of the Green Party, as the Federal Minister of the Interior; Friedrich Bohl, the former Head of the Chancellery under Kohl, as the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs & Energy; CDU rising star Angela Merkel becomes the Federal Minister of Defence.

It remains to be seen how stable this coalition will be, and what policies it will seek to implement. Party members of both parties have voiced concerns that this government will be unable to affect any real change as a large gap remains in regards to each parties position on important policy areas. For now both parties have stated that they seek to focus on the middle-ground, continuing efforts of the reunification and building a brighter future for all Germans.