German Chancellor, Angela Merkel is due to be sworn in for third term on Tuesday after successfully hashing out a coalition agreement with the country’s centre-left Social Democrats. <br /><br />Merkel’s junior coalition partner voted in favour of the agreement this weekend. <br /><br />Conjuring the words of Germany’s post-war Chancellor, Konrad Andenauer, a delighted Merkel said, “If two people always have the same opinion, neither are worth anything. In this sense the first chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany has given a good indication for possible discussions in the grand coalition.”<br /><br />One surprise move by Merkel was the appointment of a woman as Minister of Defence. Ursula von der Leyen was previously Minister of Labour and had crossed Merkel earlier over the under representation of women on company boards. <br /><br />Germany’s opposition Green Party is unimpressed with the new cabinet. <br /><br />Simone Peters, Green Party Leader said, “it’s relatively boring, especially concerning the CDU-ministers. Few new people,” she said, “nothing really ambitious.<br /><br />Merkel will be sworn in at Berlin’s Bundestag tomorrow, where she she is expected to outline the coalition deal.
