Posted on 10/16/2002 2:56:57 PM PDT by knighthawk
BERLIN (AP) — Promising a new assault on unemployment, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer signed a coalition agreement Wednesday between the Social Democrats and environmental Greens Party to usher in four more years of center-left rule in Germany.
Getting Germans back to work and stimulating the lagging economy were set out as the main goals for Schroeder's second term leading the Social Democrats and their junior coalition partners, the Greens, after their narrow election victory Sept. 22.
``We really need a thorough reform of the job market and we agreed that we want to and we intend to achieve this,'' Schroeder told a news conference.
Leaders of both parties signed the 88-page agreement, reached during three weeks of difficult negotiations on establishing the shape and goals of the new government.
``Four years of hard work lie ahead of us,'' the pact's preamble says. ``We want to give a sense of security through clear orientation and act with good judgment.''
The new Cabinet is made up of 13 ministers — one less than before — with four new faces among them.
Major changes included the creation of two so-called super ministries, amping up the Labor and Health portfolios to tackle critical reforms of the labor market and health care system. The expanded Ministry of Labor and Economics will be run by newcomer Social Democrat Wolfgang Clement, formerly North-Rhine Westphalia state governor, and the Health and Social Services Ministry will be led by Ulla Schmidt.
Most top officials — including Fischer, Finance Minister Hans Eichel, Interior Minister Otto Schily and Defense Minister Peter Struck — retain their posts.
New to the government are Social Democrats Manfred Stolpe, who will head the ministry for Traffic and Construction and Renate Schmidt for family. Brigitte Zypries takes over the Justice Ministry from Herta Daeubler-Gmelin, who was not included after being quoted likening President Bush to Hitler for threatening war to distract from domestic issues.
The Greens retain three ministries, including the environment and consumer protection in addition to foreign, despite hopes that they would be rewarded with another post for ensuring the coalition's survival with their strongest election ever, 8.6 percent.
``Power is not only measured in the number of ministries,'' Claudia Roth, a Greens leader, told n-tv. Roth stressed the Greens had influenced the agreement by ensuring it addressed issues important to the party, such as consumer protection, renewable energy sources — which went to the Greens-controlled environment ministry — and pledges to improve policies for children and families.
The agreement also calls for a shift in the monetary policy of the European Central Banks, urging lower borrowing costs for businesses and consumers in the 12 countries using the euro. It comes amid criticism from some other countries, including France, of strict rules designed primarily to stem inflation.
Angela Merkel, the head of the Christian Democrats, said the agreement looked like a classic case of getting off on the wrong foot and criticized it for raising taxes and increasing borrowing.
``Taxes are being raised everywhere,'' Merkel. ``That raises the cost of employment and leads to a situation where there is less work and less growth.''
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