Pistorius Retains Defence Role Amid New German Coalition

Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) have confirmed that Boris Pistorius will remain as defence minister in the new coalition government with the conservatives, following the SPD's poor performance in the February national election. The coalition, led by incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU, is set to be sworn in this week and aims to revitalize Germany's economy and strengthen NATO ties amid global trade and security challenges. SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil will assume the finance ministry and serve as Vice-Chancellor, while Baerbel Bas is nominated for the labour ministry. Other notable appointments include Verena Hubertz as Minister of Construction and Carsten Schneider as Environment Minister. The SPD emphasized a renewal in both leadership and policy direction in response to their electoral setback, striving for a balance of experienced and new political figures. The party's internal selections caused some division, particularly over excluded chairwoman Saskia Esken, but the leadership remains focused on delivering progress in the new coalition.