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 Cabinet of Angela Merkel
Cabinet Merkel II

21st Cabinet of the Federal Republic of Germany
28 October 2009 – 22 October 2013
(until 17 December 2013 as caretaker government)
Date formed28 October 2009
Date dissolved17 December 2013
(4 years, 1 month, 2 weeks and 5 days)
People and organisations
PresidentHorst Köhler (until 31 May 2010)
Jens Böhrnsen (Acting; from 31 May 2010 to 30 June 2010)
Christian Wulff (from 30 June 2010 to 17 February 2012)
Horst Seehofer (Acting; from 17 February 2012 to 18 March 2012)
Joachim Gauck (from 18 March 2012)
ChancellorAngela Merkel
Vice ChancellorGuido Westerwelle (until 18 May 2011)
Philipp Rösler (from 18 May 2011)
Member partyChristian Democratic Union
Christian Social Union of Bavaria
Free Democratic Party
Status in legislatureCoalition government
Opposition partySocial Democratic Party
The Left
The Greens
Opposition leaderFrank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD)
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 government

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
PortfolioMinisterTook officeLeft officeParty
Chancellor28 October 200917 December 2013 CDU
Vice Chancellor28 October 200918 May 2011 FDP
18 May 201117 December 2013 FDP
Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs
Guido Westerwelle
28 October 200917 December 2013 FDP
Federal Minister of Defense28 October 20093 March 2011 CSU
3 March 201117 December 2013 CDU
Federal Minister of the Interior
Thomas de Maizière
28 October 20093 March 2011 CDU
3 March 201117 December 2013 CSU
Federal Minister of Finance28 October 200917 December 2013 CDU
Federal Minister of Justice28 October 200917 December 2013 FDP
Federal Minister of Economics and Technology28 October 200912 May 2011 FDP
Philipp Rösler
12 May 201117 December 2013 FDP
Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs28 October 200927 November 2009 CDU
30 November 200917 December 2013 CDU
Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection28 October 200930 September 2013 CDU
30 November 200917 December 2013 CDU
Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs30 November 200917 December 2013 CSU
Federal Minister for Family Affairs,
Senior Citizens, Women and Youth
Ursula von der Leyen
28 October 200930 November 2009 CDU
30 November 200917 December 2013 CDU
Federal Minister of Health
Philipp Rösler
28 October 200912 May 2011 FDP
12 May 201117 December 2013 FDP
Federal Minister of Education, Science and Technology28 October 200914 February 2013 CDU
14 February 201317 December 2013 CDU
Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation28 October 200917 December 2013 FDP
Federal Minister of Environment,
Nature Conservation, and Reactor Security		28 October 200922 May 2012 CDU
22 May 201217 December 2013 CDU
Federal Minister of Special Affairs &
Head of the Chancellery		28 October 200917 December 2013 CDU

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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