Schweitzer named German labour minister as Bas gets dismissal papers away from cameras
President Steinmeier appointed former Rhineland-Palatinate premier Alexander Schweitzer (SPD). He is due to be sworn in at the Bundestag on Wednesday at 2 p.m.
Archive image · Photo: Olaf Kosinsky / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 de (cropped and resized)
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Tuesday afternoon appointed Alexander Schweitzer of the Social Democrats as the new federal minister of labour and social affairs. The former premier of Rhineland-Palatinate succeeds outgoing minister Baerbel Bas. According to the dts news agency, Bas unusually received her dismissal certificate away from the cameras in a separate room.
Steinmeier praised Bas's work over the past year and a half and criticised a climate of debate that often lacks respect, especially on social media. He called the labour ministry a "key portfolio". He cited demographic change, digitalisation and tight public finances as the main challenges.
Schweitzer previously served in Rhineland-Palatinate as social affairs minister and later as minister for labour, social affairs, transformation and digitalisation. He takes full charge only after being sworn in: Bundestag President Julia Kloeckner is due to administer the oath on Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the start of the plenary session.