BERLIN, March 9, 2018 (News agencies) - Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) on Friday officially unveiled the six members bestowed with a ministerial post in Chancellor Angela Merkel's new coalition government. After suffering record losses in the last election — scoring its worst results since World War II — the SPD is vying to renew its fortunes by bringing some fresh, dynamic figures into the cabinet. The most high profile appointment is Heiko Maas' promotion from justice minister to head the Foreign Ministry. He takes over from former SPD leader. Sigmar Gabriel, who revealed on Thursday that he had not been offered a Cabinet post after falling out of favor. The SPD will take charge of the Finance Ministry. Former Hamburg Mayor Olaf Scholz has been handed with the post, as had long been expected. Political pundits widely judged that gain as the most significant concession from Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who also suffered damaging losses in September's vote. Germany is finally on the cusp of a new government, more than six months on from the federal elections. The final major hurdle was overcome on Sunday when the SPD's 460,000 members approved the coalition agreement with Merkel's conservatives in a ballot vote. Merkel is now set to be formally re-elected as chancellor on Wednesday.
