German politicians agree to form new government

[October 24, 2009]  BERLIN (AP) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday announced a new, center-right government with the Free Democrats, saying the coalition will "bravely solve the problems that are lying ahead of us."

She detailed some of the cornerstone measures in her new government's platform, including an overhaul of the country's health care system, an increase in child subsidies and future tax cuts.

Merkel's Christian Democrats, their Bavarian-only sister party Christian Social Union and the pro-business Free Democrats came to a coalition agreement after nearly four weeks of negotiations following the Sept. 27 election.

Guido Westerwelle, the leader of the Free Democrats, said at a joint news conference with Merkel that the coalition agreement was "a great compass for our country."

He also said he wants all nuclear weapons to be pulled out of Germany, an issue that may prove vexing to the country's NATO allies, including the United States.

The coalition agreement is expected to be approved and signed on Monday.

The chancellor announced some new members of her new cabinet, while Westerwelle said he would present the Free Democrats' ministers to his party first and announce them later in the day to the public.

Westerwelle himself is expected to take over the posts of foreign minister and vice chancellor.

Merkel said that current Economy Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg will become the defense minister tasked with handling Germany's unpopular mission in Afghanistan. He replaces Franz Josef Jung, who is to take over at the Labor Ministry.

Germany's veteran interior minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, was expected to take the key position of finance minister, a move that would put the 67-year-old member of Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats in charge of tending Germany's strained budget as her new government tries to balance tax cuts and fiscal discipline.

Ahead of Sept. 27 elections, both parties advocated tax cuts in an effort to spur economic growth. However, they differed on how far to go at a time when efforts to combat the economic crisis have pushed up debt.

Schaeuble is one of Germany's most experienced politicians. He has been interior minister since 2005 in Merkel's outgoing coalition of right and left, his second stint as the country's top security official.

Schaeuble has championed tougher security laws, in particular anti-terrorism legislation granting federal police the power to spy on computers.

Ursula von der Leyen, one of the nation's most popular ministers, is expected to retain her post at the Ministry for Family Affairs, while the Health Ministry is to go to the youngest minister in the Cabinet, 36-year-old Philipp Roesler of the Free Democrats.

The new Economics Minister is to be Rainer Bruedele, also from the Free Democrats.

Westerwelle's call to remove nuclear weapons from Germany echoed calls made by then-Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrats in 2005.

During the Cold War, the United States based nuclear weapons in Germany as part of its deterrent against Warsaw Pact forces. Since the Berlin Wall came down in November 1989, it has removed 95 percent of those weapons.

The previous call to remove the weapons drew concern among North Atlantic Treaty Organization members, and any concerted effort to take up the issue again would require negotiations with those members. Merkel said the withdrawal would only be carried out after "talks with our partners."

The U.S. has not said how many nuclear weapons are still in Germany.

[Associated Press; By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER]

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