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Olaf Scholz with Angela Merkel at the handover in the Chancellery
Photo: Markus Schreiber / AP
Angela Merkel congratulated her successor Olaf Scholz on taking office.
"Take possession of this house and work with it for the good of our country," said the CDU politician when she handed over to Scholz in the Chancellery on Wednesday.
She knows from her own experience that it is a moving moment to be elected to this office.
Perhaps Scholz suspects that this is an exciting, fulfilling and also demanding task.
"But if you take on them with joy, then it is perhaps one of the most beautiful tasks there is to be responsible for this country," said Merkel.
From the bottom of her heart she wishes all the best and always a happy hand for the country.
Scholz thanked Merkel and spoke of both of them having a “north-east German mentality”.
"That won't change that much," he said.
Scholz thanked his predecessor Angel Merkel for her 16 years of work as Chancellor.
"You have done great things," he said.
Merkel and he had survived numerous crises together, and there was always a trusting cooperation.
The SPD politician had previously been sworn in in the Bundestag, making him the fourth social democratic chancellor in West German history.
The 63-year-old had 395 yes votes in the secret election and thus not all of the votes from the traffic light groups SPD, Greens and FDP.
These have 416 of the total of 736 MPs.
After the election, he was congratulated, among others, by French President Emmanuel Macron and the presidents of China and Russia.
According to Chinese state media, Chinese President Xi Jinping said he was ready to work with Scholz to deepen trust between the two countries.
as / Reuters
