Germany's Chancellor-in-waiting Merz unveils Cabinet picks

Berlin, April 28 (IANS) Friedrich Merz, Germany's Chancellor-in-waiting, on Monday announced the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)'s nominees for key ministerial positions in the incoming coalition government.

Merz is expected to be elected Chancellor next week at the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament.

Johann Wadephul, currently deputy parliamentary group leader for the CDU/CSU, has been nominated to serve as the new Foreign Minister. Wadephul, 62, has been a member of the Bundestag since 2009 and is a supporter of European integration.

The ministry of economic affairs is set to be led by Katherina Reiche, a former Bundestag member and currently the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Westenergie, a subsidiary of German energy company E.ON.

Other key appointments include Patrick Schnieder as minister of transport, and Karsten Wildberger, CEO of Ceconomy AG and MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group, who has been tapped to head a newly established ministry for digitalization and modernization, Xinhua news agency reported.

Born in 1955 in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, Merz studied law and served as a judge at the district court in Saarbrucken, capital of Saarland, from 1985 to 1986.

He served as a member of the European Parliament from 1989 to 1994, and a member of the German Bundestag from 1994 to 2009. He led the CDU/CSU parliamentary group from 2000 to 2002.

After leaving active political life in 2009, Merz announced his return in 2018 following then Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision not to seek re-election. He became Chairman of the CDU and leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group.

Besides political life, Merz has worked for an international law firm, served as Chairman of the 'Atlantic Bridge' association, which is dedicated to German-American cooperation, and held positions in the business sector.

His close ties to the business community have earned him a reputation as a "pro-business" figure within the CDU. He has promised to revitalise the German economy, aiming for an average annual growth of over two per cent.

Merz advocates for a stronger stance on immigration. On foreign policy, he advocates for reducing Europe's reliance on the United States and rebuilding Germany's international standing.

--IANS

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