WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS
The conservatives of future German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the center-left Social Democrats officially signed a coalition agreement on Monday, ahead of the start of the new German government they lead.
The 69-year-old Merz will be sworn in on Tuesday as the new leader of Europe's largest economy, ending a six-month political deadlock in Berlin.
The CDU/CSU led by Merz and its coalition partner, the Social Democrats (SPD), have vowed to revive the ailing economy and rebuild the military at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump has questioned the future of transatlantic security and trade ties.
Merz has also pledged to crack down on irregular immigration and halt the rise of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), which came in second place in a snap election in February.
The AfD was declared an “extremist right-wing group” by Germany’s intelligence agency on Friday, a move that the AfD launched legal proceedings against on Monday, and the Trump administration has strongly criticized the decision.
US Vice President J.D. Vance described the AfD, which like Trump has campaigned against immigration, as “the most popular party in Germany.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the move by the German intelligence agency “masked tyranny.”
Since the February election, the AfD has been in a close race with the CDU/CSU in the polls and has occasionally led.
Merz, who has extensive business experience but no experience in leading a government, promised “strong, reliable and well-planned governance” at the signing ceremony on Monday.
“We live in a time of profound change, great upheaval… and great uncertainty, and that is why we know it is our historic duty to lead this coalition to success,” he said.
The 144-page coalition agreement, titled "Responsibility for Germany," outlines the political plan for the next four years of the coalition between the country's two largest traditional parties.
Merz said the new government was "determined to continue reforms and investments" and also promised "a government whose voice will be heard in Europe and the world."
The outgoing government of SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz was dissolved on November 6, the day Trump was re-elected as US president.
Scholz himself will not be part of the new cabinet, but will remain in parliament as a lawmaker.
The lower house of the German parliament will meet at 9 a.m. on Tuesday for a session where lawmakers are expected to elect Merz as the tenth chancellor of modern Germany.
After the German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, confirms the vote, Merz will be sworn in at noon.
