New German Finance Minister Joerg Kukies (C) speaks with (L-R) Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and MP Niels Annen before his swearing-in at the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament, in Berlin on November 7, 2024. The day before, the German Chancellor sacked Finance minister Christian Lindner, from the pro-business Free Democrats FDP, leading to the breakdown of his three-party coalition government. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP) (Photo by JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images)