Germany’s coalition agreement: Potential ministers in Merz’s cabinet

In Germany, the conservative bloc CDU/CSU of the future chancellor Friedrich Merz and the Social Democrats (SPD) have signed a coalition agreement, but party leaders have not yet announced who will manage the key ministries in the new government.

However, since the coalition plan specifies which party will take which ministry, there are some indications as to who the main candidates are.

According to the coalition agreement, the CDU will take the foreign affairs and economy ministries, while the SPD will control the finance and defense ministries. The interior ministry will be held by the CDU’s sister party in Bavaria, the Christian Social Union (CSU).

Here is POLITICO’s shortlist of likely candidates for some key ministerial positions in Berlin.

Foreign Office

Johann Wadephul

A senior CDU member of parliament and deputy chairman of the parliamentary group focusing on foreign and defense policy, Wadephul has long-standing ties with Washington and Brussels and is seen as the most likely name for the foreign ministry.

Armin Laschet

The former leader of the CDU and prime minister of the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia has remained active in international forums and is seen as seeking a high-profile, outward-facing role. Laschet’s appointment would represent a political comeback after his party’s historic loss in 2021, when he was the candidate for chancellor.

Jens Spahn

Currently the deputy chairman of the CDU parliamentary group, Spahn is not a foreign policy expert, but his strong US network, especially his ties with Republicans, is seen as an advantage. Spahn attended the Republican National Convention last year and is mentioned as a more unusual option, given Merz’s need to establish connections with the Trump administration.

Defense Ministry

Boris Pistorius

Pistorius, one of Germany’s most popular politicians, is expected to continue his role as defense minister. SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz appointed Pistorius as defense minister about a year after the start of the war in Ukraine. Pistorius was seen as an unusual choice at the time because he lacked national leadership experience. However, since then, he has gained the respect and admiration of politicians on both sides of the political spectrum at home and many NATO counterparts abroad.

Pistorius, who has a relatively “hawkish” stance on Ukraine and is trying to modernize Germany’s armed forces to make them “fit for war,” has said he wants to continue in office.

Finance Ministry

Lars Klingbeil

Currently the co-chairman of the SPD, Klingbeil is one of the party’s most disciplined communicators and is seen as a key figure guiding the party through the post-Scholz transition. He is also the most likely option for the finance ministry, a powerful office.

Klingbeil played a leading role on behalf of his party during coalition negotiations, and although he does not have the technocratic skills of other candidates for the job, his appointment would give the SPD influence and control over finances at a time when the country is preparing to unlock hundreds of billions of euros in new spending for defense and infrastructure.

Jörg Kukies

A long-time close advisor to Scholz, Kukies took over as interim finance minister after the three-party coalition called the traffic light collapsed in November.

A seasoned technocrat and former Goldman Sachs executive, Kukies has been raising his profile in recent weeks, including a visit to Washington.

Economy Ministry

Carsten Linnemann

CDU’s policy chief and one of Merz’s closest allies, Linnemann is known for shaping the party’s economic agenda in recent years.

An educated economist, Linnemann has built his profile as an advocate of deregulation, fiscal discipline, and supply-side reform, a clear departure from the approach of the Green’s economy minister Robert Habeck, who advocates decarbonization and state-led industrial transformation.

Interior Ministry

Alexander Dobrindt

A former transport minister who has been in politics with the CSU for many years, Dobrindt is known for his harsh rhetoric on immigration and police issues and is a suitable name to implement Merz’s promised immigration crackdown.

Dobrindt’s leadership is thought to bring a “more populist, law-and-order” tone to the ministry.