Germany: Olaf Scholz replaces outgoing chancellor Angela Merkel after forming coalition

Olaf Scholz succeeded in ending the era of the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, and the newly formed coalition of three political parties led by Scholz is about to form the next government in Germany, reported ANI, citing DW News. The 63-year-old German politician who favours left-wing ideology will be the next to sit in the chair of Germany's next chancellor. He has ruled out the 16-year-old government of Merkel. The coalition party presented their agenda titled "Risk More Progress" on Wednesday, with a cooperation deal among the three parties as an "alliance for freedom, justice, and sustainability".

The parties involved in making the coalition government include the Social Democrats, the Greens, and the Free Democrats. And the cooperation deal mainly appears to be between two parties, the Greens and the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP). The leaders supporting climate change aim to end coal commerce by 2030, which is eight years before the set target by Merkel. While the FDP aims to take the Finance Ministry.

According to a report published by DW News, the Green co-leader, Robert Habeck, who will handle the portfolio of the Economy and Energy Ministry along with climate change, committed Wednesday that the deal would put Germany "on the path to 1.5 degrees". The newly chosen government is also aiming to get 80% of Germany's power from renewable sources. Meanwhile, environmentalists have criticized the absence of concrete measures to reduce CO2 emissions in the short term and to phase out gas or diesel-fueled vehicles. 

It is worth mentioning here that Germany's debt brake was put on hold in order to compensate for financial losses incurred at the time of the COVID-19 crisis. While the FDP plans on restoring the debt break in 2023 and has not presented any plans for tax reduction. Meanwhile, the to-be government has promised a number of new things, like the legalization of sales of cannabis for recreational purposes, legalizing voting from the age of 16, revising Nazi-era abortion laws. Additionally, the new government will also offer citizenship to immigrants. They would be eligible to gain citizenship after three years in the country and they will be allowed to keep their prior nationalities upon naturalisation.

Image: AP

With Inputs from ANI