默克尔宣誓就任总理

 　　默克尔宣誓就任总理

　　BERLIN, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor¹ Angela Merkel was sworn in for a third term after being reelected in a vote in the lower house of parliament on Tuesday.

　　Her coalition² government will rule Europe's biggest economy for the next four years.

　　The chancellor won the parliament election with 462 votes in favor, with 150 voting against and nine abstentions. Merkel was formally appointed by German President Joachim Gauck at the president's official residence and headed back to the parliament to be sworn into office, thus becoming the country's third post-war chancellor to win a third term.

　　Merkel will address the parliament on Wednesday and then travel to Paris to meet President Francois Hollande in her first foreign visit of the new term.

　　Cabinet ministers of the new coalition government, formed by Merkel's Christian³ Democratic Union (CDU), its Bavarian sister party Christian Social Union (CSU), and the Social Democrats⁴ (SPD), were also formally appointed and took the oath in the parliament.

　　Prominent members of the new cabinet include Ursula von der Leyen, the country's first female defence minister, and finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, who joined hands with the chancellor in Germany's efforts to fight the eurozone debt crisis.

　　SPD party leader Sigmar Gabriel became minister of a new Economy and Energy Ministry⁵ and take responsibility for Germany's ambitious plan of energy transformation⁶ from nuclear power to green energy. SPD veteran Frank-Walter Steinmeier is back as the foreign minister. He has served in that post from 2005-2009 under Merkel.

　　The new cabinet put an end to more than two months of political limbo⁷ after the Sept. 22 elections when Merkel's bloc⁸, the biggest winner with 41.5 percent of votes, fell short of an absolute majority. The SPD took 25.7 percent of the votes.

　　The grand coalition between Merkel's conservatives and the SPD, as in Merkel's 2005-2009 first term, is supported by most Germans, as a poll for public broadcaster ZDF published Friday showed that 49 percent of Germans welcome a grand coalition while 33 percent opposed it.

　　However, the coalition government was only able to become a reality last week as a majority of the SPD members backed the proposed coalition deal in a binding⁹ vote within the party. Some SPD members harbor skepticism on becoming Merkel's junior partner again. The party suffered a electoral defeat in 2009 after serving as Merkel's junior coalition party in her first term.

　　HARD-WON RESULTS

　　SPD chief Sigmar Gabriel has worked hard to convince his party members to support the left-right government as he won key concessions¹⁰ from Merkel's camp on SPD's core concerns and centerpiece policies during the coalition talks.

　　During the coalition talks, the SPD insisted on the introduction of a national minimum wage of 8.50 euros (11.41 U.S. dollars) per hour, which was a key election platform. Although Merkel has repeatedly reiterated¹¹ her opposition¹² to the national minimum wage on concerns that it would destroy jobs, she finally gave in.

　　The national statutory minimum wage is scheduled to be introduced in Germany from January 2015. Merkel said earlier that she would try to prevent job losses that may be caused by the move.

　　Among other agreed policies proposed by the SPD, dual¹³ citizenship¹⁴ will be allowed for children who grew up in Germany and were born after 1990 to foreign parents. Currently they have to choose between German citizenship and that of their parents when they reach 23 years of age.

　　But the CDU held its ground as the parties agreed there should be no tax rises. The SPD had demanded to raise taxes on incomes above 100,000 euros to 49 percent from 42 percent. Merkel has said such tax hike plans would risk spoiling the good situation of the country's economy.

　　According to the coalition agreement, the new government will spend an additional 23 billion euros by 2017 without tax increases. The government will also not undertake new borrowing from 2015. The additional money will be invested in areas including infrastructure¹⁵, education, research and development.

　　Other agreed policies included lower retirement¹⁶ age from 67 to 63 for those who made pension contribution for 45 years, and reforms of the current Renewable Energy Act.

　　STABLE EUROPEAN POLICIES

　　Merkel is expected to continue championing painful structural¹⁷ reforms and spending cuts by indebted countries, despite the SPD's call for more pro-growth measures during the election campaign.

　　"We will not develop a union of debt but a union of stability," said Merkel last month after her bloc signed the agreement with the SPD on forming a coalition.

　　SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel also said that preserving the eurozone will be a key policy of the new German government, whose European policy will secure the "stabilization¹⁸ of the euro and the eurozone".

　　Although the coalition talks mainly focused on domestic issues, both sides reached consensus¹⁹ on European issues as the agreement notes that "Germany can only go well if Europe had a good future."

　　The coalition partners agreed on pushing for a European level financial transaction tax despite very different views among the 11 supporting nations. The proposed tax consists of a rate of 0.1 percent on the trading of bonds and shares and 0.01 percent for derivatives²⁰ deals.

　　Put forward by the European Commission in September 2011, the introduction of such a tax could raise as much as 35 billion euros (45 billion U.S. dollars) a year. But the proposal has to be approved by all the nations that agree to participate before it becomes law.

　　The coalition agreement emphasized Germany's opposition to any mutualization of eurozone countries' debt, including the eurobonds, and stressed the principle of solidarity²¹ and responsibility.

　　On plans for a European banking²² union, the coalition partners rejected the idea that taxpayers²³ have to directly shoulder banks' risks, making it clear that eurozone member states have primary responsibility for dealing²⁴ with their troubled banks and can only use taxpayer-financed European fund as the last resort.

　　In addition, the coalition partners also agreed to stick to structural reforms in troubled European Union member states in order to improve their competitiveness and growth.

　　In fact, Merkel's domestic popularity owes much to sticking to principles in dealing with the eurozone debt crisis, including pressing indebted eurozone members to carry out austerity measures and reforms. She has said it was her responsibility as chancellor to keep the reform pressure on Greece.

　　The grand coalition is welcomed by other European countries. French President Francois Hollande and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy hailed the coalition deal as a boon²⁵ for Europe in a bilateral²⁶ meeting in Madrid last month.

1 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

2 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

3 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

4 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

7 limbo   

n.地狱的边缘；监狱

参考例句：

• His life seemed stuck in limbo and he could not go forward and he could not go back.他的生活好像陷入了不知所措的境地，进退两难。
• I didn't know whether my family was alive or dead.I felt as if I was in limbo.我不知道家人是生是死，感觉自己茫然无措。

8 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

9 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

10 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

11 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

12 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

13 dual   

adj.双的；二重的，二元的

参考例句：

• The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
• He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

14 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

15 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

16 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

17 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

18 Stabilization   

稳定化

参考例句：

• The position of barycentre on plane directly impacts the stabilization and manipulation of plane. 飞机重心位置直接影响飞机的稳定和操纵特性。
• With the higher olefins, stabilization of the energetic intermediates occurs more easily. 在较高的烯烃情况下，高能的中间物稳定作用更易出现。

19 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

20 derivatives   

n.衍生性金融商品；派生物，引出物( derivative的名词复数 )；导数

参考例句：

• Many English words are derivatives of Latin words. 许多英语词来自拉丁语。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These compounds are nitrosohydroxylamine derivatives. 这类合成物是亚硝基羟胺衍生物。 来自辞典例句

21 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

22 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

23 taxpayers   

纳税人，纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finance for education comes from taxpayers. 教育经费来自纳税人。
• She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money. 她慷慨陈词猛烈抨击对纳税人金钱的浪费。

24 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

25 boon   

n.恩赐，恩物，恩惠

参考例句：

• A car is a real boon when you live in the country.在郊外居住，有辆汽车确实极为方便。
• These machines have proved a real boon to disabled people.事实证明这些机器让残疾人受益匪浅。

26 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。