Olaf Scholz became the new Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, whose candidacy was supported by the Bundestag.
The head of the FRG government is elected by secret ballot, without debate. To win, it is necessary to obtain an absolute majority of votes, this is at least 369 out of 736. Scholz’s candidacy was formally introduced to parliament by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, supported by 395 deputies.
As stated in the constitution, the head of government determines the policy of the state. The “chancellor majority” is formed by the votes of the representatives of the parties, the composition of the cabinet of ministers – the SPD, the Union 90 / Greens party and the Free Democratic Party – will depend on them, a total of 416 deputies.
The SPD won first place in the Bundestag elections on September 26, displacing the Christian Democrats who have dominated since 2005. At the end of November, the SPD leader announced that the ruling coalition had been formed.
Who became the new chancellor? Olaf Scholz studied law at the University of Hamburg and was a lawyer in the 1990s. At the age of 17, inspired by the policies of the then Chancellor Schmidt, the young man joined the SPD. In 1998, he first became a member of the Bundestag and then worked in the government, holding various party positions.
In 2007, Scholz became Minister of Labor and held this post until 2009, participated in the development of the manual for part-time workers. Experts believe that then this important measure helped Germany to cope with the consequences of the global financial crisis, avoiding a significant increase in unemployment.
From 2011 to 2018, Scholz served as mayor of Hamburg, after which he became finance minister and vice-chancellor in the Merkel government. In 2020, Scholz will once again become one of the most popular politicians in the country, introducing benefits for part-time workers against the backdrop of the fight against the crisis.
German journalists nicknamed him “Scholzomat” – for his manner of speaking on business and clearly, while he enjoys trust. In his free time, the new chancellor is engaged in rowing and running – these sports were taught to him by his wife, party colleague Britta Ernst.
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