Germany's chancellor-in-waiting Merz unveils cabinet picks

BERLIN -- Friedrich Merz, Germany's chancellor-in-waiting, on Monday announced the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)'s nominees for key ministerial positions in the incoming coalition government.

Merz is expected to be elected Chancellor next week at the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament.

Johann Wadephul, currently deputy parliamentary group leader for the CDU/CSU, has been nominated to serve as the new foreign minister. Wadephul, 62, has been a member of the Bundestag since 2009 and is a supporter of European integration.

The ministry of economic affairs is set to be led by Katherina Reiche, a former Bundestag member and currently the chief executive officer (CEO) of Westenergie, a subsidiary of German energy company E.ON.

Other key appointments include Patrick Schnieder as minister of transport, and Karsten Wildberger, CEO of Ceconomy AG and MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group, who has been tapped to head a newly established ministry for digitalization and modernization.