Nearly six weeks after their appointments, Federal Ministers Steffen Bilger (CDU) and Carsten Linnemann (CDU) took their oath of office in the Bundestag on Tuesday. Both ministers had been appointed by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on July 29. Bilger replaced Patrick Schnieder as the Minister of Transport, while Linnemann followed Nina Warken. Since Warken had already held a ministerial post, she was exempt from taking a new oath.
The decision by the Federal Government to postpone the swearing-in of Bilger and Linnemann until after the parliamentary summer recess faced criticism from several constitutional experts. They argued that the procedure violated the Basic Law, which stipulates that ministers must take their oath before the Bundestag immediately upon assuming office. The Federal Government defended its choice by citing the costs associated with organizing a special session of the parliament.
