Very little is predictable about Germany’s upcoming federal elections, except that Sunday’s vote will ultimately result in a new chancellor and a new head of the country’s development ministry.
After 16 years in power, Chancellor Angela Merkel is stepping down. Development minister Gerhard Müller, who hails from Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, is following her out the door. After eight years leading the ministry, known by its German initials BMZ, he has already been tapped to take over the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.
Merkel and Müller oversaw a marked increase in development assistance. The country’s $28.4 billion in ODA spending last year made it the second-largest donor in absolute terms, while pushing Germany past the 0.7% aid target for the second time. In his final days, Müller is also cementing the overhaul of his ministry in line with BMZ 2030, the plan introduced last year to streamline both the countries and program areas BMZ supports.