Third Merkel cabinet

Third Cabinet of Angela Merkel Cabinet Merkel III
22nd Cabinet of the Federal Republic of Germany
17 December 2013 – 24 October 2017 (until 14 March 2018 as caretaker government)
Date formed	17 December 2013
Date dissolved	14 March 2018 (4 years, 2 months, 3 weeks and 4 days)
People and organisations
President	Joachim Gauck (until 18 March 2017) Frank-Walter Steinmeier (from 19 March 2017)
Chancellor	Angela Merkel
Vice Chancellor	Sigmar Gabriel
Member parties	Christian Democratic Union Social Democratic Party Christian Social Union of Bavaria
Status in legislature	Grand coalition 504 / 631 (80%)
Opposition parties	The Left The Greens
Opposition leader	Gregor Gysi (2013–2015) Sahra Wagenknecht (2015–2018) Dietmar Bartsch (2015–2018)
History
Election	2013 federal election
Legislature terms	18th Bundestag
Predecessor	Merkel II
Successor	Merkel IV

This article is part of a series about Angela 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 Family Foreign policy Public image Awards and honours
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The Third Merkel cabinet (German: Kabinett Merkel III) was the 23rd Government of the Federal Republic of Germany during the 18th legislative session of the Bundestag. Installed after the 2013 federal election, it left office on 14 March 2018. It was preceded by the second Merkel cabinet and succeeded by the fourth Merkel cabinet.^[1] Led by Chancellor Angela Merkel. The government was supported by a coalition of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD).^[2][3] Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) replaced Philipp Rösler (FDP) as Vice Chancellor of Germany and became Federal Minister for Economics and Energy.

The CDU received five ministries in addition to the positions of Chancellor, as well as Chancellery Chief of Staff and Minister for Special Affairs. The SPD controlled six ministries and the CSU three. Although the CSU received a disproportionate share of ministries relative to its weight in the Bundestag, the six most powerful ministries were divided equally between the CDU and the SPD: the CDU controlled the ministries for finance, internal affairs and defense, while the SPD controlled the ministries for foreign affairs, economics and energy, as well as justice and consumer protection.^[4]

The term of office of the third Merkel cabinet officially ended with the constitution of the 19th Bundestag on Tuesday, 24 October 2017. Merkel and her cabinet ministers received their discharge papers from the Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on the same day. In accordance with Article 69 of the German Constitution and at the request of the President of Germany, the cabinet remained in office as the caretaker government until a new government is formed.^[5]