Scholz was formally nominated by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in the nearby Bellevue Palace before returning to parliament to take the oath of office in front of lawmakers and become Germany’s ninth chancellor since the end of World War II.
The Chancellor swore,among other things,to devote his energies to the welfare of the German people,but he did not ask for God’s help,a phrase that is usually included in the oath of office.
Merkel hands over the chancellery to Scholz as the country faces a brutal fourth wave of coronavirus infections and challenges to its democratic order from authoritarian governments.
With his down-to-earth and no-nonsense manner,Scholz has positioned himself as Merkel’s natural successor and a safe pair of hands to steer Europe’s largest economy through challenges that range from tackling the climate crisis to dealing with a more confrontational Russia.
Scholz will lead an unprecedented three-way ruling coalition on the federal level with the pro-spending,environmentalist Greens and the fiscally more conservative,libertarian Free Democrats (FDP) – unlikely political bedfellows in the past.
He is an experienced negotiator and veteran politician who as SPD party secretary general from 2002 until 2004 defended controversial labour market reforms and social welfare cuts under former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.