Germany’s new government takes office on December 17, after members of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (spd) approved the new coalition agreement. Germany’s new cabinet has been unveiled. Here’s a first look at Germany’s new crop of ministers.

Defense Minister: Ursula von der Leyen (cdu)

The appointment of von der Leyen as the first female defense minister was the most surprising and interesting development to leak out over the weekend. There are a number of possible reasons for the move, but one of the most intriguing is von der Leyen’s strong support for the European Union. She was born in Brussels while her father was working for the European Commission. In 2011 she said: “My aim is a united states of Europe, run along the lines of the federal states of Switzerland, Germany or the USA.”

The movement to create a pan-European military is gaining momentum, with a key meeting on the subject taking place this week. Has von der Leyen been put in place to Europeanize the German military? As the Trumpet noted last month, Germany’s coalition agreement puts a surprising emphasis on a common European military, including a commitment to “strive for an ever closer associate of European forces, which can evolve into a parliamentary European army.”

Von der Leyen has a reputation as a reformer. Think tank Carnegie Europe’s editor in chief, Judy Dempsey, seems to think that von der Leyen could be a worthy successor to one of Merkel’s earlier defense ministers, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. She writes:

Thomas de Maizière, Merkel’s trusted lieutenant for many years, held the defense portfolio from 2011 to 2013. In that time, he did little to push forward the reforms that his brash, ambitious and courageous predecessor, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, had started.Guttenberg managed to abolish conscription against a great deal of opposition from conservatives and Social Democrats alike. As part of his modernization plans, he also wanted to shake up the defense procurement system. And he supported sharing resources with other European countries. Above all, he wanted to streamline the ministry despite huge resistance from the military’s top echelons. He wanted a modern Bundeswehr. …Appointing von der Leyen as defense minister is Merkel’s only bold move at the beginning of her third term in office. Putting this modern, ambitious conservative at the helm of Germany’s most difficult ministry is a gamble. If von der Leyen succeeds, she will have proven herself a fit competitor for the chancellery. Much more importantly, she may also finally have shaken Germany out of its complacency over military affairs.

The New York Times reaches a similar conclusion, noting that “commentators say she may have the skills and energy to undertake a revamping of European security policy much desired by Germany’s partners in nato.”

Von der Leyen’s appointment to this important post has also fueled speculation that she is Merkel’s chosen successor. The post will certainly give her an opportunity to prove her mettle. As Ms. Dempsey points out, of Germany’s 16 post-war defense ministers, seven have had to resign.

Interior Minister: Thomas de Maizière (cdu)

Ms. Dempsey is perhaps a little harsh on von der Leyen’s predecessor. The former defense minister has a reputation as a solid behind-the-scenes worker. He’s not flashy or attention seeking, but he gets things done. Under de Maizière the German military has begun some important cooperation with other European militaries. He has been a key promoter of more European military integration.

With von der Leyen over defense, Merkel has moved de Maizière back to his old post at the interior ministry. This move may also stem from Merkel’s succession planning. De Maizière has already gained the nickname, “Merkel’s best man.” However, he barely survived his stint as defense minister after he was accused of incompetently managing a drone project and wasting hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ euros. His move back to the interior ministry may be Merkel’s way of letting him draw a line under the fiasco and clean his slate before he launches his bid to become Germany’s next chancellor.

Finance Minister: Wolfgang Schäuble (cdu)

This was one of the key positions to watch. The fact that Schäuble has retained it means that Merkel’s Europe policy probably won’t change much. When it comes to Europe’s finances, Merkel’s new left-wing coalition partner will have very little say. “Schäuble has never been soft on other Europeans,” writes afp. “Describing himself as ‘pitiless’ in his management of Germany’s public purse, he shows the same exactitude towards his partners, campaigning for tight fiscal discipline and insisting on stringent conditions for any contribution that Berlin made to bailouts.” With Schäuble still in place, this is unlikely to change. Had this position gone to the spd, they may have been able to obstruct or even change Merkel’s European policy. As it is, Merkel should now have a freer hand to deal with the eurocrisis.

Foreign Minister: Frank-Walter Steinmeier (spd)

Steinmeier will be reprising the role he held in Merkel’s first coalition. He could bring Germany back to a closer relationship with Russia—something else that was called for in Germany’s coalition agreement. However, the decision to appoint Steinmeier as foreign minister was probably taken before the recent tussle over Ukraine. Spiegel Online recently reported that both Chancellor Merkel and German President Joachim Gauck seemed to personally dislike and oppose Russian President Vladimir Putin. Steinmeier could be a useful tool if realpolitik forces Germany to work with Russia. But, as Germany’s previous foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, found out, it is not hard for the chancellor to overrule her foreign minister.

Steinmeier may also be useful in repairing Germany’s relationship with France—which in practice usually means getting France to do what Germany wants. As a fellow left-winger and sometimes seen as Francophile, Steinmeier is well placed to build a better relationship with French President François Holland.

Deputy Labor Minister: Jörg Asmussen (spd)

This was the other big surprise in the new appointments—not because of the position Asmussen is gaining, but where he’s coming from. Asmussen used to be Germany’s man on the executive board of the European Central Bank (ecb), where he played a key role negotiating Cyprus’s bailout. His predecessor, Jürgen Stark, also stepped down early, citing “personal reasons”—an explanation few believe. Stark wanted the ecb to be much stricter. Asmussen took up Stark’s position of fighting the German crusade against inflation. Is Asmussen now tired of fighting? Did he quit because of the ecb’s talk about using more unorthodox policies in order to fight deflation? He claims his decision to leave is so he can be closer to his family, but is there something else? The direction the ecb takes under Asmussen’s successor, and its relationship with the German government, will be worth watching.

Economy and Energy Minister: Sigmar Gabriel (spd)

This new “super-ministry” was created especially for the spd’s leader, Sigmar Gabriel. After an earthquake and then a tsunami damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant, Chancellor Merkel disavowed nuclear power and launched a new push toward renewable energy. Gabriel’s newly combined economy and energy ministry will take care of this push. In creating this position, Merkel may have given Gabriel a poisoned chalice. This shift to renewable energy will be very hard to manage. As prices go up, and problems arise, the blame will shift to Gabriel.

Special Post for Intelligence Services: tba

Merkel announced that as a “consequence from the nsa affair” she would create a special post within the chancellery for dealing with the intelligence services. Merkel says a decision will soon be made on this position—though there’s a good chance that decision has already been made, but perhaps a few key people still need convincing, or she is waiting for a more opportune time to announce it. The position has the potential to be quite powerful—so it’s worth watching who gets the job.

The Rest

The other appointments don’t seem to have the same geopolitical implications—though there could still be surprises. So here’s a quick list of some of the other appointments: