Social Democrat Heiko Maas, justice minister in the last government, is to become Germany’s foreign minister in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s new coalition government, a source in his party said on Thursday.
The source confirmed reports in Spiegel Online and Bild daily among others, which followed a statement from Sigmar Gabriel, who has held the post for the last year, who said he did not have a job in the new government.
Merkel’s conservatives and the Social Democrats (SPD) have agreed that the SPD will retain control of the Foreign Ministry in their “grand coalition” and the party is due to officially announce its six cabinet ministers on Friday.
The party declined to comment on the reports about Maas, 51, who was one of the front-runners.
source: Reuters