PM Modi looks forward to enhance strategic partnership with Germany under Olaf Scholz

As Olaf Scholz sworn in as Germany's new chancellor, formally taking power after Angela Merkel's historic 16 years as leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended heartiest congratulations to his German counterpart. “I look forward to working closely to further strengthen the Strategic Partnership between India and Germany,” he wrote in a Twitter post. The  new German parliament elected Scholz on Dec. 8 as Merkel, the first female German chancellor, a role model and a stabilizing force for the EU, exited the political stage wishing Scholz the ‘best of luck.’ 

Scholz was voted by 395 of 707 members of the new parliament as the European country’s new head of state. ”I know from personal experience what a moving moment it is to be elected to this office,” Germany’s outgoing chancellor reportedly told the new leader. Scholz tweeted that he was asked by the Bundestag president to accept this responsible task, to which, ”I said 'yes'”. Of the total 736 votes, 303 votes were against Scholz, while 6 were abstentions. 

“We are venturing a new departure, one that takes up the major challenges of this decade and well beyond that,” Scholz said this week at a presser, according to AP. If the parties succeed, he added, “that is a mandate to be reelected together at the next election.”

Lawmakers give 'standing ovation' to outgoing chancellor Angela Merkel

Scholz's centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) became the majority party in September's general election and has been negotiating with environmentalist Greens and the business-focused Free Democratic Party (FDP) for a coalition. While Scholz takes office with an aim of modernising Germany and combating climate change, his toughest immediate challenge would be to tackle the toughest yet phase of the worsening COVID-19 pandemic in the European nation. Scholz, 63, was appointed as the new leader on December 8, German lawmakers gave Merkel a standing ovation.