Tag: Germany

• Thursday, January 18th 2018 - 09:39 UTC

  Merkel stands firm in the terms agreed for the coalition with Social Democrats

  

  German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) on Wednesday ruled out further political concessions in the preliminary coalition agreement between the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Christian Social Union (CSU) and German Social Democrats (SPD).

• Saturday, January 13th 2018 - 09:17 UTC

  EU sigh of relief: Germany's grand coalition en route to a “renewed marriage”

  

  Chancellor Angela Merkel struck a deal with Social Democrat (SPD) rivals on Friday to open government coalition talks, easing months of uncertainty that has undermined Germany’s global role and raised questions about her political future. But the deal to revive a “grand coalition” that has governed since 2013 must be approved by an SPD congress planned for January 21.

• Thursday, January 11th 2018 - 09:34 UTC

  UK charm offensive in Germany to lobby for London's post Brexit financial services

  

  The German government on Wednesday sought to pour cold water over Britain's hopes of a bespoke post-Brexit arrangement for financial services. German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman told reporters that Berlin's focus would remain on preserving a unified stance among the 27 EU nations as Brexit negotiations prepare to enter a critical phase. Britain's financial services industry is expected to be one the main battlegrounds in the next stage of talks.

• Wednesday, November 22nd 2017 - 07:00 UTC

  German business leaders launch a “Battle of Britain” to keep UK in the EU

  

  A group of influential German business figures have launched a campaign to keep the UK in the European Union. The alliance, dubbed a New Deal for Britain, includes three ex-presidents of the Federation of German Industry.

• Tuesday, November 21st 2017 - 07:54 UTC

  Angela Merkel ready to fight a snap election if necessary to overcome political crisis

  

  German chancellor Angela Merkel has vowed to fight a snap election if necessary to secure a fourth term in office and end her country’s political crisis. Dr Merkel faces an uncertain future after coalition talks collapsed on Sunday evening after almost five weeks – two months after Germany’s federal election.

• Monday, November 20th 2017 - 08:21 UTC

  Tax and migration disputes impede Merkel from forming a coalition government

  

  Talks on forming a coalition government in Germany have collapsed after the free-market liberal FDP pulled out. FDP leader Christian Lindner said there was no “basis of trust” with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the Greens.

• Wednesday, November 1st 2017 - 08:17 UTC

  Germany marks the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation

  

  A special religious service is being held in the German town of Wittenberg to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. On this day, 31 October, in 1517, Martin Luther is said to have nailed 95 theses to the door of All Saints' Church in the town.

• Friday, October 6th 2017 - 08:13 UTC

  German Industries tells members to prepare “for a very hard Brexit”

  

  German companies with a presence in the UK should be planning for a “very hard Brexit”, Germany's biggest industry body has warned. German industry looked “with concern” at the progress of the Brexit talks, said the boss of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), Joachim Lang. Britain “is lacking a clear concept despite talking a lot,” he added.

• Wednesday, September 27th 2017 - 07:39 UTC

  Germany's (neo-fascist) protest vote fuelled by extended income gap

  

  By Gwynne Dyer - Angela Merkel’s slogan in her campaign for a fourth term as Chancellor was terminally bland and smug – “For a Germany in which we live well and love living” – but it did the job, sort of. Her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is back as the largest party, so Merkel gets to form the next coalition government. But the neo-fascists are now in the Bundestag (parliament) too, for the first time since the collapse of Nazi Germany.

• Monday, September 25th 2017 - 07:16 UTC

  Merkel wins fourth mandate, but only the hard right and small parties celebrate

  

  Chancellor Angela Merkel clinched a fourth term in Germany’s election Sunday, but her victory was clouded by the entry into parliament of the hard-right AfD in the best showing for a nationalist force since World War II. Merkel, who after 12 years in power held a double-digit lead for most of the campaign, scored around 33% of the vote with her conservative Christian Union (CDU/CSU) bloc, according to preliminary results.