BERLIN — Germany’s new center-right coalition government pledged Saturday to reform the health-care system, cut taxes and pull all remaining nuclear weapons from the country, a promise that could hurt relations with NATO already strained over the military deployment in Afghanistan.
Guido Westerwelle, the new foreign minister and leader of the pro-business Free Democrats, said at a joint news conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel that he wants all nuclear weapons to be pulled out of Germany — an issue that may prove vexing to the country’s NATO allies, including the United States.
Merkel said the withdrawal would only be carried out after “talks with our partners.”
The incoming government’s coalition agreement is expected to be approved and signed on Monday.
Ahead of the Sept. 27 elections, Merkel’s Christian Democrats and the Free Democrats both advocated tax cuts in an effort to spur economic growth.
However, they differed on how far to go at a time when efforts to combat the economic crisis have pushed up debt.
A cornerstone of the coalition agreement is reform to the nation’s health care system. It is expected to include a freeze on employers’ contributions, meaning individuals will carry the burden of any cost increases.
Child benefits and tax write-offs for families with children are to be increased in 2010, making good on an election promise by the Free Democrats to ease the burden on families.
Economy Minister and rising political star Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg would become the defense minister, tasked with handling Germany’s unpopular mission in Afghanistan and working toward an eventual exit strategy.
Recent polls have shown that more than half of the population opposes the country’s military mission in Afghanistan.
During the Cold War, the United States based nuclear weapons in Germany as part of its deterrent against Warsaw Pact forces.
Since the Berlin Wall came down in November 1989, it has removed 95 percent of those weapons.
The U.S. has not said how many nuclear weapons are still in Germany.
Germany’s veteran interior minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, was expected to become finance minister, a move that would put the 67-year-old member of Merkel’s party in charge of tending Germany’s strained budget as her new government tries to balance tax cuts and fiscal discipline.
Westerwelle said,that the Health Ministry will go to the youngest minister in the Cabinet, 36-year-old Philipp Roesler of the Free Democrats.
The new Economics Minister will be Rainer Bruedele, Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger will be in charge of the Justice Ministry and Dirk Niebel will head the Ministry for Development. All three are members of the Free Democrats.
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