Second Merkel cabinet

The second Merkel cabinet (German: Kabinett Merkel II) was the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany during the 17th legislative session of the Bundestag. Installed after the 2009 federal election, it left office on 17 December 2013. It was preceded by the first Merkel cabinet and succeeded by the third Merkel cabinet. Led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, it was supported by a coalition of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU), and the Free Democratic Party (FDP).

Second Merkel cabinet

22nd Cabinet of Germany
2009–2013
Date formed28 October 2009
Date dissolved17 December 2013
People and organisations
Head of governmentAngela Merkel
Member partyChristian Democratic Union
Christian Social Union of Bavaria
Free Democratic Party
Status in legislatureCDU led coalition government
Opposition partySocial Democratic Party
The Left
The Greens
Opposition leaderFrank-Walter Steinmeier
History
Election(s)2009 federal election
Legislature term(s)17th Bundestag
PredecessorMerkel I
SuccessorMerkel III
This article is part of
a series about
Angela Merkel

Revolution of 1989

Kohl Administration

Leader of the Christian Democratic Union

First Ministry and term

Second Ministry and term

Third Ministry and term

Fourth Ministry and term

The cabinet served as a caretaker government following the elections on 22 September 2013; which saw the removal of the Free Democratic Party from the Bundestag. Negotiations between the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) took place to form a new cabinet.

Composition

The second Merkel cabinet was composed of the following ministers:

Office Portrait Incumbent Party In office
Chancellor Angela Merkel CDU 22 November 2005 – present
Vice-Chancellor Guido Westerwelle FDP 28 October 2009 – 18 May 2011
Philipp Rösler 18 May 2011 – 17 December 2013
Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Guido Westerwelle FDP 28 October 2009 – 17 December 2013
Federal Minister of the Interior Thomas de Maizière CDU 28 October 2009 – 3 March 2011
Hans-Peter Friedrich CSU 3 March 2011 – 17 December 2013
Federal Minister of Justice Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger FDP 28 October 2009 – 17 December 2013
Federal Minister of Finance Wolfgang Schäuble CDU 28 October 2009 – 24 October 2017
Federal Minister of Economics and Technology Rainer Brüderle FDP 28 October 2009 – 12 May 2011
Philipp Rösler 12 May 2011 – 17 December 2013
Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Franz Josef Jung CDU 28 October 2009 – 27 November 2009
Ursula von der Leyen 30 November 2009 – 17 December 2013
Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection Ilse Aigner CSU 31 October 2008 – 30 September 2013
Federal Minister of Defence Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg CSU 28 October 2009 – 3 March 2011
Thomas de Maizière CDU 3 March 2011 – 17 December 2013
Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth Ursula von der Leyen CDU 22 November 2005 – 30 November 2009
Kristina Schröder 30 November 2009 – 17 December 2013
Federal Minister of Health Philipp Rösler FDP 28 October 2009 – 12 May 2011
Daniel Bahr 12 May 2011 – 17 December 2013
Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs Peter Ramsauer CSU 28 October 2009 – 17 December 2013
Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety Norbert Röttgen CDU 28 October 2009 – 22 May 2012
Peter Altmaier CDU 22 May 2012 – 17 December 2013
Federal Minister of Education and Research Annette Schavan CDU 22 November 2005 – 14 February 2013
Johanna Wanka CDU 14 February 2013 – 14 March 2018
Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Dirk Niebel FDP 28 October 2009 – 17 December 2013
Federal Minister for Special Tasks,
Head of the Chancellery		 Ronald Pofalla CDU 28 October 2009 – 17 December 2013

Resignations, dismissals and replacements

The second Merkel cabinet has been reshuffled several times. The first change occurred on 30 November 2009, when Franz Josef Jung resigned as Labour Minister amidst controversy surrounding the Kunduz airstrike, which happened while he was Defense Minister in the previous cabinet. He was succeeded by former Family Affairs Minister Ursula von der Leyen, who was in turn succeeded by Kristina Schröder.

On 3 March 2011, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg stepped down as Defense Minister following the discovery of plagiarized content in his doctoral dissertation. He was succeeded by former Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière, who was in turn succeeded by Hans-Peter Friedrich.

On 10 May 2011, Rainer Brüderle was elected as the FDP's parliamentary leader and resigned his position as Economics Minister. He was succeeded by former Health Minister Philipp Rösler, who was in turn succeeded by Daniel Bahr. On 13 May 2011, the FDP elected Rösler to succeed Guido Westerwelle as party chairman. Rösler was then named Vice-Chancellor on 16 May 2011, succeeding Westerwelle in this position as well. Westerwelle retained the position of Foreign Minister.

On 16 May 2012, Merkel requested that President Joachim Gauck dismiss Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen after the CDU's defeat in the North Rhine-Westphalia state election. Röttgen had been CDU chairman for that state. He was dismissed on 22 May 2012 and was succeeded as Environment Minister by Peter Altmaier.

On 5 February 2013, Annette Schavan was stripped of her doctorate by the University of Düsseldorf due to alleged plagiarism in her PhD thesis. She resigned on 9 February 2013 and was succeeded by Johanna Wanka.

See also

References
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