# First Merkel cabinet

* This article is part of a series aboutAngela Merkel
MdB for Vorpommern-Rügen – Vorpommern-Greifswald I
Christian Democratic Union of Germany
Merkel-Raute
Revolution of 1989
Democratic Awakening
1990 East German election
German reunification
Kohl government
Minister for Women and Youth
Minister for the Environment
Leader of the Christian Democratic Union
CDU donations scandal
2005 election
First ministry and term
First Merkel cabinet
EU Council presidency
33rd G8 summit
Treaty of Lisbon
Berlin Declaration
Financial crisis
Stimulus plan
2009 election
Second ministry and term
Second Merkel cabinet
2010 presidential election
Health care reform
Energiewende
European debt crisis
European Banking Supervision
Bundeswehr reform
NSA surveillance
2013 election
Third ministry and term
Third Merkel cabinet
Crimean conflict
Normandy format
41st G7 summit
European migrant crisis
Wir schaffen das
Willkommenskultur
2017 G20 Hamburg summit
2017 election
Fourth ministry and term
Fourth Merkel cabinet
CDU leadership election
COVID-19 pandemic
2021 floods
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The First Merkel cabinet (German: Kabinett Merkel I) was the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany from 22 November 2005 to 27 October 2009 throughout the 16th legislative session of the Bundestag. Led by Christian Democrat Angela Merkel, the first female Chancellor in German history, the cabinet was supported by a grand coalition between the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
It was installed following the 2005 federal election and succeeded the second Schröder cabinet. It ceased to function after the formation of second Merkel cabinet, which was installed after the 2009 federal elections and sworn in on 28 October 2009.

## Composition

The federal cabinet consisted of the following ministers:
| Portfolio | Minister | Took office | Left office | Party |
| Chancellor | Angela Merkel | 22 November 2005 | Merkel II | CDU |
| Vice-Chancellor | Franz Müntefering | 22 November 2005 | 21 November 2007 | SPD |
| Vice-Chancellor | Frank-Walter Steinmeier | 21 November 2007 | 27 October 2009 | SPD |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Frank-Walter Steinmeier | 22 November 2005 | 27 October 2009 | SPD |
| Minister of Labour and Social Affairs | Franz Müntefering | 22 November 2005 | 21 November 2007 | SPD |
| Minister of Labour and Social Affairs | Olaf Scholz | 21 November 2007 | 27 October 2009 | SPD |
| Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety | Sigmar Gabriel | 22 November 2005 | 27 October 2009 | SPD |
| Minister of Economics and Technology | Michael Glos | 22 November 2005 | 10 February 2009 | CSU |
| Minister of Economics and Technology | Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg | 10 February 2009 | 27 October 2009 | CSU |
| Minister of Defence | Franz Josef Jung | 22 November 2005 | 27 October 2009 | CDU |
| Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth | Ursula von der Leyen | 22 November 2005 | Merkel II | CDU |
| Minister for Special Tasks and Head of the Chancellery | Thomas de Maizière | 22 November 2005 | 27 October 2009 | CDU |
| Minister of the Interior | Wolfgang Schäuble | 22 November 2005 | 27 October 2009 | CDU |
| Minister of Education and Research | Annette Schavan | 22 November 2005 | Merkel II | CDU |
| Minister of Health | Ulla Schmidt | 12 January 2001 | 27 October 2009 | SPD |
| Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection | Horst Seehofer | 22 November 2005 | 31 October 2008 | CSU |
| Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection | Ilse Aigner | 31 October 2008 | Merkel II | CSU |
| Minister of Finance | Peer Steinbrück | 22 November 2005 | 27 October 2009 | SPD |
| Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs | Wolfgang Tiefensee | 22 November 2005 | 27 October 2009 | SPD |
| Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development | Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul | 27 October 1998 | 28 October 2009 | SPD |
| Minister of Justice | Brigitte Zypries | 22 October 2002 | 27 October 2009 | SPD |

## Formation of the grand coalition

Neither the coalitions of the CDU/CSU and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) nor the ruling SPD and Alliance '90/The Greens had the vote of a majority of members of the Bundestag following the 2005 federal election, so the CDU/CSU and SPD decided to form the second grand coalition in the history of the federal republic. Both CDU/CSU and SPD achieved a similar percentage of votes at the election (35.2% and 34.2%, respectively), so they decided that each would receive eight cabinet seats (with six for the CDU and two for the CSU). On 13 October the SPD announced their future ministers and on 17 October the CDU/CSU announced theirs.
Edmund Stoiber of the CSU was to become the Federal Minister of Economics and Technology, but refused the post on 1 November after a conflict with Angela Merkel over the abilities of the minister to succeed him, and chose to continue his state-level role in Bavaria.
The coalition agreement (Koalitionsvertrag), titled Together for Germany. With courage and humanity, was signed and accepted by the congress of the CDU, CSU, and SPD on 12, 13, and 14 November. Angela Merkel was elected Chancellor of Germany on 22 November 2005 by 397 votes to 202. From that date the cabinet was officially in power.