BREAKING: Olaf Scholz has become Germany's ninth post-World War II chancellor, opening a new era for the European Union’s most populous nation and largest economy after Angela Merkel’s 16-year tenure.
Lawmakers voted by 395-303 to elect the center-left leader, with six abstentions — a comfortable majority, though short of the 416 seats his three-party coalition holds in the 736-seat lower house of parliament. That's not unusual when chancellors are elected, and some lawmakers were out sick or in quarantine.
Scholz, 63, Germany’s vice chancellor and finance minister since 2018, brings a wealth of experience and discipline to an untried coalition of his center-left Social Democrats, the environmentalist Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats. The three parties are portraying the combination of former rivals as a progressive alliance that will bring new energy to the country after Merkel's near-record time in office.
The former labor minister and Hamburg mayor's style has often been likened to Merkel's, although they are from different parties. Like the former chancellor, he isn't given to public displays of emotion or rousing speeches. He has portrayed himself in recent months both as her natural successor and an agent of change, and styles himself as a strong leader.
The government also plans to increase Germany's minimum wage and to get hundreds of thousands new new apartments built in an effort to curb rising rental prices. Green co-leader Robert Habeck will be Scholz's vice chancellor, heading a revamped economy and climate ministry. The government's No. 3 official will be Christian Lindner, the finance minister and leader of the Free Democrats, who insisted that the coalition reject tax hikes and looser curbs on running up debt.
Scholz told his party last weekend that “it was difficult” governing with Merkel's bloc, which his Social Democrats narrowly beat in Germany's September election. He criticized the Union bloc's “this-far-and-no-further conservatism.”
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