Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • World
  • Mid-East
  • Europe
  • Americas
  • Asia Pacific
  • Africa
  • Syrian Crisis
  • Islamophobia

Germany's newly elected parliament holds first meeting

by ASSOCIATED PRESS

Berlin Oct 26, 2021 - 3:15 pm GMT+3
Baerbel Bas speaks after being elected as the new president of the Bundestag, during a constituent session of Germany's new parliament at the Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Oct. 26, 2021. (AFP Photo)
Baerbel Bas speaks after being elected as the new president of the Bundestag, during a constituent session of Germany's new parliament at the Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Oct. 26, 2021. (AFP Photo)
by ASSOCIATED PRESS Oct 26, 2021 3:15 pm

After a surprising loss for Germany's leading party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), during last month's election, the newly elected parliament convened for the first time Tuesday.

The 736-member lower house, or Bundestag, elected as its new speaker Baerbel Bas of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), which emerged as the strongest party from the vote.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel attended the meeting, although she is no longer a lawmaker. She was sitting on the visitor stands of parliament. Later in the afternoon, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier formally dismissed Merkel and her Cabinet, though they will be asked to stay on in a caretaker capacity until a new government is in place.

"The citizens are looking to us, and their expectations of parliament are rightly high," said Wolfgang Schaeuble, the previous speaker. "We all should continue to do everything we can to meet their expectations.”

Schaeuble, 79, a conservative veteran and former finance and interior minister, is the longest-serving member of parliament. He has been a lawmaker since 1972.

In his opening speech, Schaeuble also called for a quick reform in electoral law to prevent further bloating of the Bundestag. It has a record 736 lawmakers now – up from 709 during the last term.

The parliament's new speaker, Bas, has been a member of the Bundestag since 2009. The 53-year-old was a deputy leader of her party’s parliamentary group in the outgoing parliament and its spokesperson on health, education and research.

German political convention holds that the speaker’s job goes to the biggest party in the Bundestag, with the other parties getting deputy speakers.

The three parties that hope to form Germany’s new government said last week they aim to have the country’s next chancellor in place in early December but acknowledged that they face a complex task.

The Social Democrats, environmentalist Greens and pro-business Free Democrats opened formal coalition talks following a preliminary deal earlier this month, which set out their priorities but left many open questions.

German coalition talks are an elaborate affair, producing an agreement that sets out details of the government’s program for its four-year term. They have tended to get longer over the years as the country’s political landscape has fragmented, meaning that elections rarely produce parliamentary majorities for traditional allies.

If the negotiations succeed, the new government will send Merkel’s center-right Union bloc into opposition after 16 years at the helm. Her successor will be Olaf Scholz, who propelled the Social Democrats to a narrow election victory on Sept. 26. He is the vice-chancellor and finance minister in the current government.

  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    germany elections parliament bundestag angela merkel
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    An amateur photographer Vincent Cornelissen captures a bean goose flying upside down. (Photo from Instagram @b0unce1971)

    It is showing off: Photographer captures goose flying upside down

    ANIMALS-ARCHIVES
    A crude oil tanker sails in the Bosporus, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Dec. 11, 2022. (Reuters Photo)

    Türkiye registers better-than-expected current account gap

    current-account-balance

    Accumulated tension of hundreds of years moved Anatolia by 3m

    Harold-Tobin

    Istanbul's consulate chronicles: Sudhi Choudhary, Consul General of India

    SUDHI-CHOUDHARY
    No Image
    Best of Beijing Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021