Olaf Scholz to head Germany’s three-party coalition, end of Merkel era

Picture Courtesy: Reuters

After two months of the Social Democrat party winning the federal elections, Olaf Scholz finalized the deal with the Greens and business-friendly Free Democrats to go into power. He will head Germany’s three-party coalition with Climate protection at the forefront of the deal.

The Social Democrats won the 26 September election, ahead of Mrs. Merkel's Christian Democrat alliance.

There are various steps that were discussed before finalizing the coalition deal. The parties aim to phase out coal use by 2030, eight years ahead of schedule. There are also plans to focus more on wind and solar energy. According to plans, the parties aim to get 80% of the electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

There are also plans to legalize cannabis and the sale of cannabis in licensed premises. These plans will affect other countries in Europe as well since Germany is the biggest economy in the region.

In a news conference, Mr. Scholz, 63, said "sovereignty of Europe is a cornerstone of our foreign policy”. He also discussed his partnership with France and the US.

Picture Courtesy: BBC