Fourth Merkel cabinet
{{short description|Government of Germany from 2018 to 2021}}
{{Infobox government cabinet
| cabinet_name = Fourth Cabinet of Angela Merkel
Cabinet Merkel IV
| cabinet_number = 23rd
| jurisdiction = the Federal Republic of Germany
| flag = Flag of Germany.svg
| incumbent = 14 March 2018 – 26 October 2021
(until 8 December 2021 as caretaker government)
| image = 2018-03-12 Unterzeichnung des Koalitionsvertrages der 19. Wahlperiode des Bundestages by Sandro Halank–011.jpg
| caption = Signing of the coalition agreement for the 19th Bundestag on 12 March 2018
| date_formed = 14 March 2018
| date_dissolved = 8 December 2021
({{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=3|day1=14|year1=2018|month2=12|day2=8|year2=2021}})
| government_head_title = Chancellor
| government_head = Angela Merkel
| deputy_government_head_title = Vice-Chancellor
| deputy_government_head = Olaf Scholz
| government_head_history =
| state_head_title = President
| state_head = Frank-Walter Steinmeier
| current_number =
| former_members_number =
| total_number =
| political_parties = {{Legend inline|{{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}Christian Democratic Union
{{Legend inline|{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}}}Social Democratic Party
{{Legend inline|{{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}Christian Social Union in Bavaria
| legislature_status = Grand coalition
399 / 709 (56%)
{{Composition_bar/advanced
|divisionname=
|total = 200
|boxwidth = 200
|party1 = 69
|partycolor1 = {{party color|CDU/CSU}}
|party2 = 43
|partycolor2 = {{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}
}}
| opposition_cabinet =
| opposition_parties = {{Legend inline|{{party color|Alternative for Germany}}}}Alternative for Germany
{{Legend inline|{{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}}}Free Democratic Party
{{Legend inline|{{party color|The Left (Germany)}}}}The Left
{{Legend inline|{{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}}}The Greens
| opposition_leaders =Alice Weidel (AfD) &
Alexander Gauland (AfD)
| election = 2017 federal election
| legislature_term = 19th Bundestag
| outgoing_formation =
| previous = Merkel III
| successor = Scholz
}}
{{Angela Merkel series}}
The Fourth Merkel cabinet (German: Kabinett Merkel IV) was the 23rd Government of the Federal Republic of Germany during the 19th legislative session of the Bundestag. It was sworn in on 14 March 2018 following the 2017 federal election and dismissed on 26 October 2021, acting in a caretaker mode until 8 December 2021. It was preceded by the third Merkel cabinet and succeeded by the Scholz cabinet. Led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, it was the third cabinet under Merkel to be supported by a coalition of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU), and the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
Composition
The cabinet consists of Chancellor Angela Merkel and fifteen (fourteen since 20 May 2021) federal ministers. Olaf Scholz (SPD) replaced Sigmar Gabriel as Vice Chancellor and CSU Leader Horst Seehofer became Federal Minister of the Interior, Building and Community. Fourteen ministers head a department (since 20 May 2021, one minister heads two departments); one member of the cabinet, the Head of the Chancellery, is Federal Minister for Special Affairs without a portfolio. The CDU has seven positions, the SPD has six and the CSU has three, as follows:
| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:center" |
| align=center
!scope=col width=40 data-sort-type="numeric" |Order{{Refn|{{cite web |url=https://www.protokoll-inland.de/PI/DE/RangTitulierung/AmtlicheReihenfolgen/Bundesminister/bundesminister_node.html |title=Liste der Bundesministerinnen und Bundesminister |trans-title=List of Federal Ministers |language=de |author-link=German Chancellery |author=German Chancellery |work=Protokoll Inland der Bundesregierung |publisher=German Federal Ministry of the Interior |date=15 March 2018 |access-date=16 March 2014 |archive-date=5 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190305105006/https://www.protokoll-inland.de/PI/DE/RangTitulierung/AmtlicheReihenfolgen/Bundesminister/bundesminister_node.html |url-status=dead }}}} !scope=col width=250|Office !scope=col class="unsortable" |Portrait !scope=col |Minister ! colspan="2" scope="col" |Party !scope=col class="unsortable" |Took office !scope=col class="unsortable" |Left office |
| 1
|data-sort-value="Merkel" |Angela Merkel |CDU |style="width:1px; background-color: {{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" | |14 March 2018 |8 December 2021 |
| rowspan=2 | 2
|rowspan=2 | 100px |rowspan=2 data-sort-value="Scholz" |Olaf Scholz |rowspan=2 | SPD |rowspan=2 style="width:1px; background-color: {{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" | |rowspan=2 | 14 March 2018 |rowspan=2 |8 December 2021 |
| 120px Federal Minister of Finance |
| 3
|120px |data-sort-value="Seehofer" |Horst Seehofer |CSU |style="width:1px; background-color: {{party color|Christian Social Union of Bavaria}}" | |14 March 2018 |8 December 2021 |
| 4
|120px |data-sort-value="Maas" |Heiko Maas |SPD |style="width:1px; background-color: {{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" | |14 March 2018 |8 December 2021 |
| 5
|120px |data-sort-value="Altmaier" |Peter Altmaier |CDU |style="width:1px; background-color: {{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" | |14 March 2018 |8 December 2021 |
| rowspan=2|6
|rowspan=2|120px |nowrap data-sort-value="Barley" |Katarina Barley |SPD |style="width:1px; background-color: {{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" | |14 March 2018 |27 June 2019 |
| 100px
|SPD |style="width:1px; background-color: {{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" | |27 June 2019 |8 December 2021 |
| 7
|120px |data-sort-value="Heil" |Hubertus Heil |SPD |style="width:1px; background-color: {{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" | |14 March 2018 |8 December 2021 |
| rowspan=2|8
|rowspan=2|120px |data-sort-value="Leyen" |Ursula von der Leyen |CDU |style="width:1px; background-color: {{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" | |17 December 2013 |17 July 2019 |
| 100px
|nowrap data-sort-value="Kramp" |Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer |CDU |style="width:1px; background-color: {{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" | |17 July 2019 |8 December 2021 |
| 9
|120px |data-sort-value="Klöckner" |Julia Klöckner |CDU |style="width:1px; background-color: {{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" | |14 March 2018 |8 December 2021 |
| rowspan=2|10
|rowspan=2|120px |data-sort-value="Giffey" |Franziska Giffey |SPD |style="width:1px; background-color: {{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" | |14 March 2018 |20 May 2021 |
| 100px
|Christine Lambrecht |SPD |style="width:1px; background-color: {{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" | |20 May 2021 |8 December 2021 |
| 11
|120px |data-sort-value="Spahn" |Jens Spahn |CDU |style="width:1px; background-color: {{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" | |14 March 2018 |8 December 2021 |
| 12
|120px |data-sort-value="Scheuer" |Andreas Scheuer |CSU |style="width:1px; background-color: {{party color|Christian Social Union of Bavaria}}" | |14 March 2018 |8 December 2021 |
| 13
|120px |data-sort-value="Schulze" |Svenja Schulze |SPD |style="width:1px; background-color: {{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" | |14 March 2018 |8 December 2021 |
| 14
|120px |data-sort-value="Karliczek" |Anja Karliczek |CDU |style="width:1px; background-color: {{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" | |14 March 2018 |8 December 2021 |
| 15
|120px |data-sort-value="Muller" |Gerd Müller |CSU |style="width:1px; background-color: {{party color|Christian Social Union of Bavaria}}" | |14 March 2018 |8 December 2021 |
| 16
|120px |data-sort-value="Braun" |Helge Braun |CDU |style="width:1px; background-color: {{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}" | |14 March 2018 |8 December 2021 |
{{notelist}}
2018 government crisis
{{main|2018 German government crisis}}
In June 2018, a government crisis erupted within the cabinet between Interior Minister and CSU Chairman Horst Seehofer and Chancellor Angela Merkel, after Seehofer had elaborated a masterplan on asylum policies, containing the rejection of asylum seekers already registered in other EU countries.[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-germany-scenarios/german-government-crisis-what-are-merkels-options-idUSKBN1JS1IZ German government crisis: What are Merkel's options?], Reuters, 2 July 2018 Seehofer had threatened to resign over the crisis on 1 July, but an agreement was made between the CDU/CSU sister parties on 2 July.[https://www.dw.com/en/chancellor-angela-merkel-and-horst-seehofer-agree-on-a-migration-compromise/a-44485481 Chancellor Angela Merkel and Horst Seehofer agree on a migration compromise], Deutsche Welle, 2 July 2018
Caretaker government
The results of the 2017 election had necessitated a series of negotiations that required the Merkel III cabinet to remain in a caretaker capacity for a prolonged period of time (into 2018). Government formation after the 2021 elections lasted until 24 November 2021,{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/11/24/1058811612/german-parties-say-theyve-reached-a-deal-to-form-a-coalition-government|title = German parties reach a deal to form a coalition government as the era of Merkel ends|website = NPR|date = 24 November 2021}} and the caretaker government continued until December 8,{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59575773|title = Germany's Olaf Scholz takes over from Merkel as chancellor|work = BBC News|date = 8 December 2021}} making Merkel just 9 days short of the record for longest-serving Chancellor in post-war German history ahead of Helmut Kohl.{{Cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-26/angela-merkel-to-remain-german-chancellor-after-election-defeat/100493156|title = Angela Merkel's party beaten in Germany election, but she will remain Chancellor for now. Here's why|newspaper = ABC News|date = 26 September 2021}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-en/federal-government/cabinet Cabinet of Germany] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027131424/https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-en/federal-government/cabinet |date=2021-10-27 }} (English)
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20150214083424/http://www.bundesregierung.de/Webs/Breg/EN/FederalGovernment/Ministries/_node.html Federal Ministries of Germany] (English)
{{Cabinet Merkel IV}}
{{German Cabinets}}
{{Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}
{{Social Democratic Party of Germany}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cabinet Merkel IV}}
Category:2018 establishments in Germany