Angela Merkel has surprised many by naming a woman for the first time as Germany’s next defence minister.<br /><br />The announcement follows Saturday’s vote by the wider membership of the Social Democrats to approve a deal to join Merkel’s Christian Democrats in a grand coalition.<br /><br />“The new defence minister will be Ursula Von der Leyen. Those who know her, know that she has always had an interest in international issues alongside social policies. And I think that this is a great combination for a German defence minister,” said Merkel.<br /><br />Von der Leyen is a controversial figure in the conservative wing of Merkel’s Christian Democrats, in part for openly defying<br />the chancellor on women’s rights as labour minister in a battle that erupted five months before the election.<br /><br />Between them the CDU, its sister party the CSU and the SPD have allotted all the government posts – but most of the key ministries including finance, health and interior have all gone to Merkel’s conservatives.<br /><br />The one exception is foreign affairs.<br /><br />SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel put some positive spin on the division of portfolios:<br /><br />“There are seven ministers (of the SPD), four woman and three men who will sit at the cabinet table. It starts with Frank-Walter Steinmeier as head of the Foreign Ministry, probably the most high-profile foreign affairs politician.”<br /><br />Last month Merkel and leaders of the centre-left SPD finally agreed a deal to form a coalition pending membership approval.<br /><br />Merkel will begin her third term on Tuesday – three months after winning the September 22 election.
