These are the cabinet members of the new Ampel coalition

Olaf Scholz becomes the new Federal Chancellor. The 63-year-old can look back on a long political career. In the 1980s, Scholz was Juso Federal Vice, at the beginning of the 2000s SPD General Secretary, and during the financial crisis of 2008 Federal Minister of Labor.

From 2011 he ruled as the first mayor of Hamburg. Most recently, Scholz was Federal Minister of Finance and Vice Chancellor in the last Merkel government since 2018.

Head of the Chancellery: Wolfgang Schmidt (SPD)

The important role of the head of the Chancellery will be taken over by Scholz’s closest confidante, Wolfgang Schmidt. The 51-year-old has been working for Scholz for 20 years, most recently as State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance, where he already coordinated the Vice Chancellery.

Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection, Vice Chancellor: Robert Habeck (Greens)

As expected, the new climate super ministry falls to the Greens. The department takes over the Greens boss Robert Habeck. Habeck will then also be the new Vice Chancellor.

Ministry of Finance: Christian Lindner (FDP)

The ministry goes to the Liberals. This also made it clear who would take over the influential ministry: Christian Lindner. The FDP boss has always made it clear that in a traffic light coalition, only the finance department is an option. For Lindner as the FDP parliamentary group leader, the previous parliamentary group vice-chairman Christian Dürr moves up.

Foreign Office: Annalena Baerbock (Greens)

After around 20 years, the Greens are again in charge of the Foreign Ministry. Annalena Baerbock will follow in Joschka Fischer’s footsteps.

Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs: Hubertus Heil (SPD)

The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs goes back to the SPD. Labor Minister Hubertus Heil remains in office. According to his party, he did a good job in the grand coalition.

Ministry of Justice: Marco Buschmann (FDP)

For the post of Minister of Justice, the FDP federal executive committee suggests Marco Buschmann. Buschmann is considered a close confidante of party leader Lindner and has so far been Parliamentary Managing Director of the FDP parliamentary group.

Ministry of Family: Anne Spiegel (Greens)

The family ministry is occupied by the Greens. Anne Spiegel, most recently climate minister in Rhineland-Palatinate, is responsible for the department.

Ministry of Transport: Volker Wissing (FDP)

There is a surprise at the Ministry of Transport. The department does not fall to the Greens, as expected, but to the FDP. The new transport minister is to become FDP general secretary Volker Wissing. The ministry also includes the “digital” area.

Ministry of Health: Karl Lauterbach (SPD)

The Ministry of Health is central to the corona crisis. For a long time it was unclear which party would take over the house, now it goes to the SPD. Health expert Karl Lauterbach takes over the department.

Ministry of Defense: Christine Lambrecht (SPD)

The Ministry of Defense also goes to the SPD. Lars Klingbeil was long acted for the office, but he is now the SPD party leader. And many in the SPD would like party offices and cabinet posts to be separated. Surprisingly, the previous Minister of Justice Christine Lambrecht takes over the post.

Ministry of the Environment: Steffi Lemke (Greens)

The Ministry of the Environment will in future be headed by Parliamentary Managing Director Steffi Lemke.

Ministry of Education and Research: Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP)

The education department goes to the FDP. According to the FDP federal executive, Bettina Stark-Watzinger should take over the department. The 53-year-old is the Hessian FDP state chairman and was part of the ten-person traffic light negotiating team of the FDP.

Ministry of the Interior: Nancy Faeser (SPD)

With the appointment of Nancy Faeser for the post, a woman will head the Federal Ministry of the Interior for the first time. The 51-year-old lawyer is parliamentary group and state chairman of the Hessian SPD. She wants to focus on fighting right-wing extremism.

Ministry of Construction and Housing: Klara Geywitz (SPD)

The newly created building ministry goes to the SPD. Klara Geywitz will head the department. Two years ago she and Olaf Scholz applied unsuccessfully for the party chairmanship of the Social Democrats.

Ministry of Economic Cooperation: Svenja Schulze (SPD)

The SPD will take over the development aid ministry. The previous environment minister, Svenja Schule, will lead the department.

Ministry of Food and Agriculture: Cem Özdemir (Greens)

The Ministry of Agriculture goes to the Greens. Cem Özdemir will be in charge of the department. The left wing in particular, whose favorite was Anton Hofreiter, had made the front against the realpolitik man’s freestyle ministerial.

Minister of State for the New Federal States: SPD

In addition to a new design of the ministries, the traffic light also wants to create two new ministerial posts in the Federal Chancellery: In the future, a minister of state should ensure that living conditions of the same standard prevail everywhere in the country. This task could be taken over by Carsten Schneider, who comes from Thuringia and was previously the parliamentary managing director of the SPD parliamentary group. However, this personality has not yet been decided.

Minister of State for Migration: SPD

The position of Minister of State for Migration will also be newly created in the Chancellery. This post also goes to the SPD. The cast is not yet known.

Minister of State for Culture and Media: Claudia Roth (Greens)

It was actually expected that the job of State Minister would go to Scholz confidante Carsten Brosda. However, the traffic light negotiators agreed that the Greens would provide the Minister of State for Culture. The post will be taken over by Claudia Roth, Vice President of the Bundestag.

Note: The article first appeared on November 24, 2021 and has been updated due to new events.

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