GERMANY-POLITICS-GOVERNMENT

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (first row, R) and ministers of her new cabinet have taken seat on the government's bench during a session at the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) on March 14, 2018 in Berlin (row behind): German Development Minister Gerd Mueller; (middle row, L-R): German Minister for Education and Research Anja Karliczek, German Environment Minister Svenja Schulze, German Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer, German Health Minister Jens Spahn, German Family Minister Franziska Giffey, German minister for Food and Agriculture Julia Kloeckner, German Labour Minister Hubertus Heil and German Chief of Staff Helge Braun; (front row, L-R) German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen, German Justice Minister Katarina Barley, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, German Finance Minister and Vice-Chancellor Olaf Scholz and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Merkel, bruised by half a year of post-election coalition haggling, was narrowly confirmed by parliament to her fourth and likely final term at the helm of Europe's biggest economy. Lawmakers in Berlin's glass-domed Reichstag voted 364-315 with nine abstentions for Merkel, who was then formally appointed by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier before taking the oath of office. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP) (Photo by ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)