Guido Westerwelle, the main victor of the German election, has achieved his lifetime goal: to return the Free Democratic party to power after 11 years in the political wilderness.

The 47-year-old will not only become Germany's first openly gay vice-chancellor - he is billed to take over the foreign ministry - but also he could claim more than the three cabinet portfolios that are traditionally reserved for the junior partner in a two-party coalition. His party's history of economic competence in previous governments helped make Mr Westerwelle one of the few political beneficiaries of the German recession, in spite of his staunch advocacy of free-market ideas.