German tax authorities recovered 1.6 billion Euros this year from citizens who had stashed their cash in secret accounts in Liechtenstein and Switzerland, according to the weekly Der Spiegel.
Germany’s Economy minister Rainer Bruederle has given an upbeat assessment of his country's recovery, including the assertion that full employment will soon be possible. He said that Germans were doing well and spending again, and that domestic consumption was strong.
German Economy Minister Rainer Brüederle from the liberal FDP blasted the United States monetary expansive policy which is geared to prop the declining US economy with strong liquidity injections.
Deceased French president Francois Mitterrand in 1989 gave his approval to German unification on condition that then Chancellor Helmut Kohl opened the way for the creation of an only currency in the European Union.
German gross domestic product (GDP) could grow by as much as 3% in 2010, as positive quarterly figures have stoked optimism in Europe's largest economy, Die Welt newspaper reported on Sunday, citing Economy Ministry officials.
Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao, has said that China will continue to invest in European markets, despite the debt problems affecting many Euro zone countries. He was speaking in Beijing alongside the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel. She described his pledge as an important signal that China has confidence in the Euro.
Banks operating in the UK will be hit with a levy in a move set to raise more than £8bn over four years, the chancellor has announced -The levy is part of a joint move between the UK, France and Germany.
European Union finance ministers have agreed to introduce tougher regulation of the hedge fund industry. Ministers overrode objections by the new UK government and the City of London, where 80% of European funds are based.
The German economy—Europe's largest—expanded 0.2% in the first quarter of 2010, beating forecasts of zero growth. Many analysts predicted German GDP would stagnate in the quarter.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party and its coalition allies have been defeated in regional elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, projections suggest. If confirmed, this would see Ms. Merkel's national coalition lose its slim majority in the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat.