Ahead of maiden trip to the region, Heiko Maas reiterates commitment to Jewish state’s security, notes 70th anniversary of independence. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas takes the oath of office after the new government was appointed after German Chancellor Angela Merkel was elected for a fourth term as chancellor in the German parliament Bundestag in…
How Christian is Germany? Judging by a sharp decline in church attendance, not very. But a look at tax revenue, board memberships and land holdings suggest that its two biggest churches still have a wealth of influence. Barbara Sukowa (left) and Heino Ferch (right) in the movie ‘Vision’ The Holy Roman Empire, the birthplace of…
Chancellor Angela Merkel has spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping about steel overcapacity and the US threat of tariffs. They are to work on solutions through the G20 group of industrialized nations. During a phone call on Saturday German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to discuss solutions to global steel overcapacity. Merkel and…
A German flag on a minesweeper of the German Navy blows in the wind as the ship stands in port Nov. 9, 2006, in Kiel, Germany. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) COLOGNE, Germany — Germany’s planned acquisition of a new frigate-like warship has triggered an industry debate that goes something like this: Will the vessels be German enough? That…
Here’s a look at the main priorities set out in their coalition agreement, which will guide policy-making for the next four years. BERLIN: Angela Merkel finally begins her fourth term as chancellor Wednesday, ending nearly six months of political deadlock in Germany since September’s inconclusive election. As her conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the centre-left Social…
BERLIN Germany denounced moves by President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on U.S. metal imports, saying Europe needed a united response to the threat and echoing criticism from China that it risked undermining the global trade system. Trump set import tariffs on Thursday of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminium, to come…
The German government wants to extend six military missions, including in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Mali. Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen took to the media to make the case for more Bundeswehr interventions. The German government wants to expand and adapt its foreign military missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Mali, Angela Merkel’s cabinet agreed on…
German Chancellor Angela Merkel greets the soldiers of the military honour guard ahead of the welcoming ceremony for Estonia’s Prime Minister Jueri Ratas at the Chancellery in Berlin on June 15, 2017. Sophia Besch is a research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, specializing in European defense policy. The opinions in this article belong…
Far-right AfD is winning working-class votes and SPD is becoming less relevant among young and middle-class voters. Andrea Nahles (L) and Olaf Scholz of Social Democratic party (SPD) give a press statement in Berlin. Photograph: Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters When Dietmar Nietan, treasurer of the German Social Democrats, takes the stage at the party’s Berlin headquarters at…
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s government was marshalling its defenses on Thursday against a powerful cyber attack that lawmakers said had breached the foreign ministry’s computer network and whose origins officials admitted were still unclear. The head of a parliamentary oversight panel said the attack was continuing, and security officials were trying to maintain control. “It…