On his first day as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz gave an interview to public broadcaster ARD yesterday.
It began with a clip from his father saying that he had three children: "All have been successful but today is the crowning as my son is elected German Chancellor.”
Both Scholz's parents were in parliament yesterday to watch his election and acceptance of the role of chancellor.
Speaking on the Coronavirus the new chancellor said it was important to be pragmatic, look at the situation every day and be able and ready to make decisions. He is in favour of mandatory vaccination and believes there are too many people who have not been vaccinated in the country.
Scholz said that in a democracy the people can’t be guided by a threatening minority, who use violence and aggression. He made reference to the threatening demonstrations outside the house of a German health minister, stressing such behaviour is crossing a red line.
Scholz does not believe that the mandatory vaccination policy will divide the nation as the overwhelming majority are in favour of vaccination.
On the buildup of Russian troops on the Ukraine border he stressed the importance of diplomacy and the urgent need for leaders to talk to each other. He spoke about the inviolability of State borders and Europe must be vigilant on the issue.
The new German foreign minister is Green Party co-leader Annalena Baerbock. It is the first time the post has been held by a woman.
The last Green foreign minister was Joschka Fischer, who opposed the Iraq war.
Cem Özdemir is the first government minister with Turkish origins. He is the new agriculture minister. While the majority of new ministers were driven in their limousines to Schloss Bellevue to receive their seals of office from German President, Franz Walter Steinmeier, Özdemir cycled the short distance from the Reichstag to the President’s residence.
Olaf Scholz, born in Osnabrück, and grew up in Hamburg, is the ninth chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, the fourth SPD chancellor, and the first in a united Germany.
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