Chancellor Merkel and New Government Sworn In
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- Chancellor Merkel is sworn in by Bundestag President Lammert on October 28, 2009.
- (© picture-alliance/dpa)
Germany has a new government. Chancellor Angela Merkel took the oath of office in the German Bundestag in Berlin on October 28, beginning her second term of office. The Bundestag reelected her as Chancellor in the first round of voting on Wednesday morning.
After the vote, Federal President Horst Köhler presented the Chancellor with her certificate of appointment at Bellevue Palace. She was then sworn in before the parliament by Bundestag President Norbert Lammert.
Merkel elected to take the religious form of the oath: "I swear that I will dedicate my efforts to the well-being of the German people, promote their welfare, protect them from harm, uphold and defend the Basic Law and the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany, perform my duties conscientiously and do justice to all. So help me God.”
Ministers appointed
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- Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle
- (© FDP)
Completing the process of installing the new Federal Government, the Cabinet Ministers of the new governing coalition received their certificates of appointment from Federal President Köhler in the afternoon and were then sworn in. Guido Westerwelle is the new Federal Foreign Minister and Vice-Chancellor.
The make up of the new Federal Government was agreed upon by the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union and Free Democratic Party, who formed a governing coalition after the national parliamentary elections held on September 27. The parties formally signed the coalition agreement in Berlin on Monday, October 26.
