Within the German cabinet, the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development has traditionally been viewed as lesser among equals. Known as BMZ, it is regularly subject to debate over whether it should even exist at all or just be folded into the foreign ministry.
But Germany is entering a new political era, as Angela Merkel officially stepped down as chancellor last week after 16 years in power to be replaced by Olaf Scholz of the Social Democratic Party. He heads an unprecedented governing coalition that combines the SPD with the progressive Greens and the libertarian Free Democrats.
As the parties divided up the ministries, the SPD claimed BMZ and Scholz appointed a veteran of Merkel’s last administration, former environment minister Svenja Schulze, to lead the ministry. Skilled at both domestic and global diplomacy, she is seen as one of the more progressive voices within the SPD on climate policy at a moment when the issue is set to take on a central role both in BMZ and across the new government.