German Social Democrats announce Ministers for next govt

Berlin, Dec 7 Olaf Scholz, leader of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Chancellor-designate,has presented his cabinet ministers for the country's new government.

Clinical epidemiologist and prominent expert in charge of pandemic response Karl Lauterbach will become minister of health as Germany now faces the full brunt of the fourth Covid-19 wave, reports Xinhua news agency.

"We will win the battle against the pandemic and we will be better prepared for new pandemics than we have been for this one," Lauterbach said, stressing that there would be no cuts in benefits in the health system.

Instead, it should be "made more robust", he said.

The SPD, the largest political party after this September's election, will have six ministerial posts - to be filled by four women and two men in the new coalition government.

Nancy Faeser, a regional politician from the state of Hesse, will be the first woman to hold the post of interior minister.

"A particular concern of mine will be to combat the greatest threat currently facing our free democratic basic order, right-wing extremism," Faeser said.

Scholz said that "security will lie in the hands of strong women in this government" and announced that the Defence Ministry will be taken over by the current Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection, Christine Lambrecht.

Hubertus Heil will stay on as minister of labour and social affairs.

Svenja Schulze, previously environment minister, is to take over the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.

The new Ministry of Construction is to be led by Klara Geywitz, an SPD politician from Brandenburg, and Wolfgang Schmidt, who served as state secretary under the incoming Chancellor in the Finance Ministry, will become chancellery minister.