Germany's Merkel to put ambitious critic in new Cabinet

BERLIN (AP):

Chancellor Angela Merkel named an ambitious, young conservative as health minister in Germany's new government, signalling a desire to integrate critics as she embarks on her fourth term.

Merkel had pledged to put fresh faces in her Cabinet after reaching a coalition deal this month with the centre-left Social Democrats. The deal gave the Social Democrats control of the powerful finance ministry, which prompted public grousing from some members of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union party.

A party congress is being held tomorrow to sign off on the coalition agreement, which will still need approval from the Social Democrats' members to take effect. The result of that postal vote, expected on March 4, is hard to predict.

The naming of her proposed ministerial team and Merkel's earlier announcement that respected ally Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer will take over the CDU's day-to-day management as general secretary signals that the German chancellor still is both very much in charge and heeding calls for her party's renewal.