A new government in Germany may see a reorganization of ministries, according to a report by the Tagesspiegel, citing an internal chat notice that summarizes the ideas for potential coalition negotiations. The content of the notice was confirmed by high-ranking CDU officials, the newspaper stated.
The new government could have up to three fewer independent ministries than the current one, despite the Union’s plan to create a new ministry specifically for digitalization, as mentioned in the Christian Democrats’ election program. The goal is to achieve this by combining existing ministries.
According to the Union’s ideas, a new “Infrastructure Ministry” would be established, bundling the responsibilities for construction, transportation and energy networks, the latter of which is currently the responsibility of the Economics Ministry. The latter would also give up its climate protection duties, as it is set to be expanded to include labor market policy, a setup that was previously seen during the time of SPD Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and his “Superminister” Wolfgang Clement.
If coalition talks with the Social Democrats were to take place, the Union would offer them a compromise. Specifically, as an “offer to the SPD” a kind of “Superministry” for “Social Affairs” is envisioned, which could also include the previously independent ministries for family and health.
Another idea discussed in the past, the merger of the Foreign Office and the Development Ministry, is described in the internal overview as a “negotiating mass for coalition partners.” The far-reaching coordination competences of a National Security Council, which the Union promised in its election program to establish in the Chancellery, could be more acceptable to a future partner if paired with a strengthened Foreign Office, the consideration goes.