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{{short description|Government of Germany from 2005 to 2009}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox government cabinet
| cabinet_name            = First Cabinet of Angela Merkel<br /><small>Cabinet Merkel I</small>
| cabinet_number          = 20th
| jurisdiction            = the Federal Republic of Germany
| flag                    = Flag_of_Germany.svg
| incumbent               = 22 November 2005 – 28 October 2009
| image                   = Angela Merkel 24092007.jpg
| date_formed             = 22 November 2005
| date_dissolved          = 27 October 2009<br />({{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=11|day1=22|year1=2005|month2=10|day2=27|year2=2009}})
| government_head_title   = [[Chancellor of Germany|Chancellor]]
| government_head         = [[Angela Merkel]]
| deputy_government_head_title  = [[Vice-Chancellor of Germany|Vice-Chancellor]]
| deputy_government_head  = [[Franz Müntefering]] <small>(until 21 November 2007)</small><br />[[Frank-Walter Steinmeier]] <small>(from 21 November 2007)</small>
| state_head_title        = [[President of Germany|President]]
| state_head              = [[Horst Köhler]]
| government_head_history =
| current_number          =
| former_members_number   =
| total_number            =
| political_party         = {{Legend inline|{{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}[[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]]<br />{{Legend inline|{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}}}[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]]<br />{{Legend inline|{{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}[[Christian Social Union of Bavaria]]
| legislature_status      = [[Grand coalition (Germany)|Grand coalition]] <br> 448/614 (73%) <br />
{{Composition_bar/advanced/infobox
|divisionname=
|total        = 200
|boxwidth     = 200
|party1       = 74
|partycolor1  = {{party color|CDU/CSU}}
|party2       = 72
|partycolor2  = {{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}
}}
| opposition_cabinet      =
| opposition_party        = {{Legend inline|{{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}}}[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]]<br />{{Legend inline|{{party color|The Left (Germany)}}}}[[Party of Democratic Socialism (Germany)|Party of Democratic Socialism]]<br />{{Legend inline|{{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}}}[[Alliance '90/The Greens|The Greens]]
| opposition_leader       = [[Wolfgang Gerhardt]] <small>(until 30 April 2006)</small><br />[[Guido Westerwelle]] <small>(from 30 April 2006)</small>
| election                = [[2005 German federal election|2005 federal election]]
| legislature_term        = [[List of members of the 16th Bundestag|16th Bundestag]]
| outgoing_formation      =
| previous            = [[Second Schröder cabinet|Schröder II]]
| successor               = [[Second Merkel cabinet|Merkel II]]
}}
{{Angela Merkel series}}
The '''First Merkel cabinet''' ([[German language|German]]: ''Kabinett Merkel I'') was the [[Cabinet of Germany|Government]] of the [[Germany|Federal Republic of Germany]] from 22 November 2005 to 27 October 2009 throughout the [[List of members of the 16th Bundestag|16th legislative session]] of the [[Bundestag]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btp/16/16003.pdf|title=Plenarprotokoll 16/3|trans-title=Plenary proceedings 16/3}}</ref> Led by Christian Democrat [[Angela Merkel]], the first female [[Chancellor of Germany (1949–present)|Chancellor]] in German history, the cabinet was supported by a [[Grand coalition (Germany)|grand coalition]] between the [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU), [[Christian Social Union of Bavaria]] (CSU) and the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD).<ref name="bbc">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4438212.stm|title=Analysis: German Coalition Deal|publisher=BBC News|date=15 November 2005|access-date=1 August 2015}}</ref>

It was installed following the [[2005 German federal election|2005 federal election]] and succeeded the [[second Schröder cabinet]].<ref name="washpost">{{cite news|newspaper=The Washington Post|title=Merkel to succeed Germany's Schröder |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/10/AR2005101000199.html|date=11 October 2005|access-date=8 August 2016}}</ref> It ceased to function after the formation of [[second Merkel cabinet]], which was installed after the [[2009 German federal election|2009 federal elections]] and sworn in on 28 October 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4836127,00.html|title=Merkel's new cabinet sworn in|publisher=DW|date=30 October 2009|access-date=1 August 2015}}</ref>

==Composition==
The federal cabinet consisted of the following ministers:

{{Cabinet table start|hiderefcol=y}}
{{Cabinet table minister
 | title                  = [[Chancellor of Germany|Chancellor]]
 | minister1              = [[Angela Merkel]]
 | minister1_termstart    = 22 November 2005
 | minister1_termend      = [[Merkel Cabinet II|Merkel II]]
 | minister1_party        = Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
 | title                  = [[Vice-Chancellor of Germany|Vice-Chancellor]]
 | minister1              = [[Franz Müntefering]]
 | minister1_termstart    = 22 November 2005
 | minister1_termend      = 21 November 2007
 | minister1_party        = Social Democratic Party of Germany
 | minister2              = [[Frank-Walter Steinmeier]]
 | minister2_termstart    = 21 November 2007
 | minister2_termend      = 27 October 2009
 | minister2_party        = Social Democratic Party of Germany
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
 | title                  = [[Minister for Foreign Affairs (Germany)|Minister of Foreign Affairs]]
 | minister1              = Frank-Walter Steinmeier
 | minister1_termstart    = 22 November 2005
 | minister1_termend      = 27 October 2009
 | minister1_party        = Social Democratic Party of Germany
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
 | title                  = [[Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (Germany)|Minister of Labour and Social Affairs]]
 | minister1              = [[Franz Müntefering]]
 | minister1_termstart    = 22 November 2005
 | minister1_termend      = 21 November 2007
 | minister1_party        = Social Democratic Party of Germany
 | minister2              = [[Olaf Scholz]]
 | minister2_termstart    = 21 November 2007
 | minister2_termend      = 27 October 2009
 | minister2_party        = Social Democratic Party of Germany
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
 | title                  = [[Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety|Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety]]
 | minister1              = [[Sigmar Gabriel]]
 | minister1_termstart    = 22 November 2005
 | minister1_termend      = 27 October 2009
 | minister1_party        = Social Democratic Party of Germany
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
 | title                  = [[Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (Germany)|Minister of Economics and Technology]]
 | minister1              = [[Michael Glos]]
 | minister1_termstart    = 22 November 2005
 | minister1_termend      = 10 February 2009
 | minister1_party        = Christian Social Union of Bavaria
 | minister2              = [[Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg]]
 | minister2_termstart    = 10 February 2009
 | minister2_termend      = 27 October 2009
 | minister2_party        = Christian Social Union of Bavaria
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
 | title                  = [[Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany)|Minister of Defence]]
 | minister1              = [[Franz Josef Jung]]
 | minister1_termstart    = 22 November 2005
 | minister1_termend      = 27 October 2009
 | minister1_party        = Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
 | title                  = [[Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (Germany)|Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth]]
 | minister1              = [[Ursula von der Leyen]]
 | minister1_termstart    = 22 November 2005
 | minister1_termend      = [[Merkel Cabinet II|Merkel II]]
 | minister1_party        = Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
 | title                  = [[Federal Minister for Special Affairs of Germany|Minister for Special Tasks]] and [[German Chancellery|Head of the Chancellery]]
 | minister1              = [[Thomas de Maizière]]
 | minister1_termstart    = 22 November 2005
 | minister1_termend      = 27 October 2009
 | minister1_party        = Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
 | title                  = [[Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community|Minister of the Interior]]
 | minister1              = [[Wolfgang Schäuble]]
 | minister1_termstart    = 22 November 2005
 | minister1_termend      = 27 October 2009
 | minister1_party        = Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
 | title                  = [[Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany)|Minister of Education and Research]]
 | minister1              = [[Annette Schavan]]
 | minister1_termstart    = 22 November 2005
 | minister1_termend      = [[Merkel Cabinet II|Merkel II]]
 | minister1_party        = Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
 | title                  = [[Federal Ministry of Health (Germany)|Minister of Health]]
 | minister1              = [[Ulla Schmidt]]
 | minister1_termstart    = 12 January 2001
 | minister1_termend      = 27 October 2009
 | minister1_party        = Social Democratic Party of Germany
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
 | title                  = [[Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (Germany)|Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection]]
 | minister1              = [[Horst Seehofer]]
 | minister1_termstart    = 22 November 2005
 | minister1_termend      = 31 October 2008
 | minister1_party        = Christian Social Union of Bavaria
 | minister2              = [[Ilse Aigner]]
 | minister2_termstart    = 31 October 2008
 | minister2_termend      = [[Merkel Cabinet II|Merkel II]]
 | minister2_party        = Christian Social Union of Bavaria
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
 | title                  = [[Federal Ministry of Finance (Germany)|Minister of Finance]]
 | minister1              = [[Peer Steinbrück]]
 | minister1_termstart    = 22 November 2005
 | minister1_termend      = 27 October 2009
 | minister1_party        = Social Democratic Party of Germany
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
 | title                  = [[Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs (Germany)|Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs]]
 | minister1              = [[Wolfgang Tiefensee]]
 | minister1_termstart    = 22 November 2005
 | minister1_termend      = 27 October 2009
 | minister1_party        = Social Democratic Party of Germany
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
 | title                  = [[Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development|Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development]]
 | minister1              = [[Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul]]
 | minister1_termstart    = 27 October 1998
 | minister1_termend      = 28 October 2009
 | minister1_party        = Social Democratic Party of Germany
}}
{{Cabinet table minister
 | title                  = [[Federal Ministry of Justice (Germany)|Minister of Justice]]
 | minister1              = [[Brigitte Zypries]]
 | minister1_termstart    = 22 October 2002
 | minister1_termend      = 27 October 2009
 | minister1_party        = Social Democratic Party of Germany
}}
|}

==Formation of the grand coalition==
Neither the coalitions of the CDU/CSU and the [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP) nor the ruling SPD and [[Alliance '90/The Greens]] had the vote of a majority of members of the ''Bundestag'' following the [[2005 German federal election|2005 federal election]], so the CDU/CSU and SPD decided to form the second [[grand coalition]] in the history of the federal republic.<ref name="bbc"/> Both CDU/CSU and SPD achieved a similar percentage of votes at the election (35.2% and 34.2%, respectively),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/en/bundestagswahlen/fruehere_bundestagswahlen/btw2005.html|title=Election to the 16th German Bundestag of 18 September 2005|publisher=Federal Returning Officer|access-date=1 August 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907214011/http://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/en/bundestagswahlen/fruehere_bundestagswahlen/btw2005.html|archive-date=7 September 2015}}</ref> so they decided that each would receive eight cabinet seats (with six for the CDU and two for the CSU). On 13 October the SPD announced their future ministers and on 17 October the CDU/CSU announced theirs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kas.de/wf/doc/kas_7317-544-2-30.pdf|title=Basic Agreement for Coalition Negotiations between CDU/CSU and SPD|publisher=Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung|access-date=1 August 2015}}</ref>

[[Edmund Stoiber]] of the CSU was to become the [[Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (Germany)|Federal Minister of Economics and Technology]], but refused the post on 1 November after a conflict with Angela Merkel over the abilities of the minister to succeed him, and chose to continue his state-level role in Bavaria.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/biography/Edmund-Stoiber|title=Edmund Stoiber|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=1 August 2015}}</ref>

The coalition agreement (''Koalitionsvertrag''), titled ''Together for Germany. With courage and humanity'', was signed and accepted by the congress of the CDU, CSU, and SPD on 12, 13, and 14 November.<ref name="washpost"/> Angela Merkel was elected [[Chancellor of Germany (Federal Republic)|Chancellor of Germany]] on 22 November 2005 by 397 votes to 202. From that date the cabinet was officially in power.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/nov/22/germany.davidfickling|title=Merkel sworn in as German chancellor|work=The Guardian|date=22 November 2005|access-date=1 August 2015}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Cabinet of Germany]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/diplo/de/Infoservice/Terminologie/Bundesregierung/Englisch.pdf Official English names of German ministers and ministries (German Foreign Office)]
* {{cite web |url= http://www.cdu.de/doc/pdf/05_11_11_Koalitionsvertrag_Langfassung_navigierbar.pdf |title= ''Gemeinsam für Deutschland. Mit Mut und Menschlichkeit'' |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070203043247/http://www.cdu.de/doc/pdf/05_11_11_Koalitionsvertrag_Langfassung_navigierbar.pdf |archive-date= 3 February 2007 |language=de}}&nbsp;{{small|(659&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]])}}, the agreement of the coalition of 12 November 2005 between the CDU, CSU and SPD.
* {{cite web |url= http://www.spd.de/show/1683399/Koalitionsvertrag2005_engl.pdf |title= English translation of the coalition agreement |access-date= 8 August 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061007093203/http://www.spd.de/show/1683399/Koalitionsvertrag2005_engl.pdf |archive-date= 7 October 2006 |url-status= dead }}&nbsp;{{small|(541&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]])}}, from the SPD official website.

{{Cabinet Merkel I}}
{{German Cabinets}}
{{Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}
{{Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}
{{Social Democratic Party of Germany}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cabinet Merkel I}}
[[Category:Cabinets of Germany|Merkel I]]
[[Category:2005 establishments in Germany]]
[[Category:2009 disestablishments in Germany]]
[[Category:Cabinets established in 2005]]
[[Category:Cabinets disestablished in 2009]]
[[Category:Angela Merkel]]
[[Category:Grand coalition governments]]