New German Cabinet Sworn In

German President Horst Koehler appointed the new government's cabinet ministers during a ceremony in Berlin on Wednesday before they took their oath in front of the Bundestag, or parliament.

Ten ministers from Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU Christian Democrats, and five men and women from newly appointed Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle's Free Democrats, or FDP, make up the new cabinet.

[Horst Koehler, German President]:
"Once more, Germany has a government which may count on a solid majority in the German parliament for its program and which promises to work closely with others. This is valuable for political stability and effective governing, especially during this time of rapid and profound change."

Among the surprise nominations were new finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, and the new health minister, 36-year-old medical doctor Philipp Roesler.

Schaeuble was interior minister in Merkel's former government while Roesler previously served as state economy minister in Lower Saxony.

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