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Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz has picked an energy sector executive as his economy minister as he unveiled his party’s cabinet picks a week before taking office.
The leader of the Christian Democrats, who won elections in February and signed a coalition deal with Social Democrats earlier this month, has appointed Katherina Reiche, the head of Westenergie, a unit of German energy group Eon, to lead the economy ministry, according to a statement on Monday.
Johann Wadephul, a senior CDU MP and close ally, has been appointed foreign minister, while Thorsten Frei, Merz’s number two in parliament, is to become his top aide as head of the Chancellery.
Merz is holding a party conference on Monday to validate the coalition deal he has concluded with the SPD. The latter is expected to disclose its own ministerial picks after a members’ vote on the coalition agreement, whose results are due on Wednesday. Merz is due to become chancellor after a parliamentary vote on May 6.
This is a developing story . . .
