Germany edition

Merkel

The following articles have been tagged with "Merkel":

Brutal cold triggers reserve power plants

National: 9 Feb 12
After exporting power to France earlier this week, Germany has switched on reserve energy plants amid surging demand for electricity due to the ongoing deep freeze hitting Europe. READ »

Germany signs €3 bln in deals with Kazakhstan

National: 8 Feb 12
Germany and Kazakhstan signed agreements Wednesday worth €3 billion ($4 billion) to cooperate on raw materials, industry and technology in Berlin. READ »

Merkel helps boost conservatives' popularity

Politics: 8 Feb 12
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives are flying high in a new opinion poll showing them garnering their best result since her beleaguered coalition took power in 2009. Germans are also more confident the euro crisis can be beat. READ »

Wulff case 'a chance to open up German politics'

Politics: 7 Feb 12
As President Christian Wulff remains mired in allegations of impropriety, anti-corruption group Transparency International (TI) has called for politicians to use the case as a chance to open up German politics. READ »

Sarkozy looks to Merkel for re-election help

Politics: 6 Feb 12
Increasingly citing Germany as a model for France, President Nicolas Sarkozy will look to give his re-election hopes a boost Monday in a joint TV interview with Chancellor Angela Merkel. READ »

China offers Merkel some comfort for Europe

Business & Money: 6 Feb 12
China's Premier Wen Jiabao said a stable Europe was key to stability at home, in comments published Sunday, at the end of a week that saw Germany's chancellor visit Beijing. READ »

Merkel gives mixed review of China trip

National: 4 Feb 12
German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke of stronger ties between China and Germany on the heels of her visit to the country, but voiced concern about attempts to keep her from meeting with government critics during her trip. READ »

Europe’s German agenda

Analysis & Opinion: 3 Feb 12
The economy in shambles, angry street protests, and the government on the brink after passing unpopular reforms. But this is not Greece in 2012 – it was Germany a decade ago. Marc Young looks back to see an agenda for the future. READ »

China doesn't want to 'buy Europe'

Business & Money: 3 Feb 12
As German Chancellor Angela Merkel wrapped up her visit to China on Friday, the Asian giant’s leaders promised they had no intention to "buy Europe," amid concerns over growing Chinese investment in debt-stricken eurozone economies. READ »

Most Germans want president to resign

Politics: 3 Feb 12
Most Germans now want President Christian Wulff to resign, as the flow of allegations over his behaviour and investigations into his relationships with businesses continues to damage his credibility. READ »

Merkel urges China to press Iran over nukes

Politics: 2 Feb 12
German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Beijing Thursday to put pressure on Iran over its controversial nuclear programme as she began an official visit to China on Thursday. READ »

Government aims to hire more minorities

National: 1 Feb 12
Chancellor Angela Merkel's government has unveiled a formal programme designed to increase the number of minorities in public service, calling integration “more urgent than ever.” READ »

Merkel pushes through EU fiscal pact

Politics: 31 Jan 12
Chancellor Angela Merkel and other EU leaders attempted to solve Europe’s debt crisis on Monday evening with a German-driven treaty meant to end deficits. But a suggestion to police the Greek budget raised hackles. READ »

German firms expect robust exports in 2012

Business & Money: 30 Jan 12
Germany, the world's number two exporter, expects healthy growth in foreign demand for its goods this year thanks to booming emerging markets and a nascent US recovery, according to a report on Monday. READ »

Merkel backs away from Greek budget control

Politics: 30 Jan 12
Chancellor Angela Merkel sought Monday to placate critics of a German proposal to put Greece under the supervision of an EU budget tsar, saying Europe must help Athens enact economic reforms. READ »

Corruption cops raid presidential office

National: 29 Jan 12
Police raided the Office of the Federal President late last week, it was confirmed on Sunday, as they continue to investigate President Christian Wulff’s former spokesman and advisor for corruption. READ »

Liberal party support 'too small for statistics'

Politics: 28 Jan 12
Angela Merkel’s junior coalition party, the Free Democratic Party, is doing so badly in opinion polls that some questions cannot be answered with any statistical validity. READ »

President 'can be called liar', loses public favour

Politics: 28 Jan 12
President Christian Wulff can be called a liar, a state prosecutor has ruled, dismissing complaints about a Green politician doing so. Wulff’s backing among the public is dwindling despite support from Chancellor Angela Merkel. READ »

Deutsche Bank boss sees Greece debt deal

Business & Money: 27 Jan 12
The head of Germany's top bank, Deutsche Bank, said Friday he was confident a solution could be found to Greece's woes amid reports of progress in talks between Athens and banks on a debt writedown. READ »

Soros damns German handling of euro crisis

Business & Money: 26 Jan 12
Prominent US investor George Soros launched a devastating broadside against the Germany's handling of the European debt crisis, saying the eurozone was on a “self-destructive” course. READ »

Merkel: Germany can't save euro alone

Politics: 26 Jan 12
Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that Germany was not prepared to expose itself to further damage on the markets in order to save the eurozone as the IMF called for a pooling of rescue funds. READ »

Spying on leftist MPs condemned

Politics: 24 Jan 12
Politicians from across Germany’s main political parties have condemned the domestic intelligence agency, or Verfassungsschutz, for spying on parliamentarians from the socialist Left party. READ »

Germany joins European oil embargo against Iran

Politics: 24 Jan 12
The leaders of Britain, France and Germany late on Monday called on Tehran to immediately suspend its nuclear activities after the EU slapped an embargo on Iran's oil exports as part of tough new sanctions. READ »

IMF boss throws down gauntlet to Merkel

Politics: 23 Jan 12
IMF head Christine Lagarde set out Monday a raft of proposals to fight the eurozone crisis likely to irk German Chancellor Angel Merkel, including a bigger rescue fund, lower ECB rates and joint eurobonds. READ »

Berlin urges swift action on EU transaction tax

Business & Money: 20 Jan 12
Germany pushed for quick decisions to be made on a mooted tax on financial transactions on Friday, amid British fears that such a levy could drive away business from Europe. READ »

'Kebab-Murders' called 'worst word of 2011'

Society: 17 Jan 12
A jury of language experts has picked Döner-Morde (Döner Murders) as 2011’s most despicable German word, saying that in the wake of racist murders the term reduced a victimised minority community to food hawkers. READ »

Merkel calls for more minority public servants

National: 16 Jan 12
Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for more police officers, fire fighters and teachers in Germany with foreign roots, saying integration works in two directions, in comments roundly criticised by opposition parties. READ »

Westerwelle: Germany 'still stands by Greece'

National: 16 Jan 12
Greece and Europe belong together, Germany's foreign minister said Sunday after meeting the debt-crippled country's leaders ahead of a week of tough talks for Athens with its creditors. READ »

Sarkozy wants France to be more like Germany

National: 15 Jan 12
As the German economy shines, next door France plunges into recession, shedding jobs and losing its top credit rating. But President Nicolas Sarkozy has a plan to save the country, by making it more like Germany. READ »

Fresh revelations hit beleaguered president

National: 15 Jan 12
Further revelations appeared about beleaguered President Christian Wulff this weekend, with Der Spiegel reporting that a film producer treated him to a hotel upgrade during Oktoberfest. READ »

Merkel: Europe faces 'long road' to restore confidence

National: 14 Jan 12
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday that Europe still had a "long road ahead" to restore investor confidence, after a raft of credit rating downgrades of EU countries. READ »

Immigrants stop 8-year population decline

National: 13 Jan 12
A large number of new immigrants pushed up Germany's population in 2011 for the first time in eight years, the national statistics office, Destasis, said on Friday. READ »

Wulff silent as calls to resign multiply

National: 12 Jan 12
President Christian Wulff hosted what was reportedly a tense New Year’s reception on Thursday, as the first open calls for his resignation came from members of parliament in his own political party. READ »

'We need a real leader - like Willy Brandt'

Analysis & Opinion: 12 Jan 12
As politicians pile pressure on embattled President Wulff, The Local hit the streets to see what normal Berliners have to say about their head of state, for the latest edition in the Zeitgeist series. READ »

One woman tackles neo-Nazi graffiti

Society: 12 Jan 12
While the recently-discovered Neo-Nazi murders dominated the German media for weeks, the drip, drip, drip of xenophobic graffiti rarely gets much attention. AFP’s Deborah Cole meets a woman tackling it personally. READ »

Merkel praises Italian economic reforms

Business & Money: 11 Jan 12
Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday said she had "great respect" for the economic reforms implemented by Italy, as the crisis-wracked country battles to bring down its debt. READ »

Pressure on Wulff now from own party

Politics: 11 Jan 12
Embattled President Christian Wulff’s woes are continuing, with party colleagues piling on the pressure about his lack of transparency and open discussions being held about who could replace him. READ »

Rays of light as Merkel seeks eurozone fixes

Business & Money: 11 Jan 12
Ratings agency Fitch offered a ray of light for the eurozone Tuesday as German Chancellor Angela Merkel met IMF chief Christine Lagarde on Greece's struggle to cut its debt, amid tentative signs of progress. READ »

Coalition at risk over financial transaction tax

Politics: 10 Jan 12
Chancellor Angela Merkel is facing a crisis in her governing coalition after agreeing with French President Nicolas Sarkozy to push for a financial transaction tax, even if Britain opts out. READ »

Merkel sticks by embattled president

Politics: 9 Jan 12
Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday she was not considering who might replace embattled President Christian Wulff, despite public offers from opposition politicians to work together to find a non-partisan successor. READ »

Merkel, Sarkozy vow to solve eurozone crisis

Business & Money: 9 Jan 12
The leaders of Germany and France put aside their differences on a controversial tax of financial market transactions and promised to speed up various measures to ease the eurozone crisis, as the euro flirted with new market lows Monday. READ »

Guttenberg says he's ready for comeback

Politics: 8 Jan 12
Disgraced former Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg is taking his first steps towards a political come-back, less than a year after his plagiarised doctorate forced him to resign. READ »

Merkel under pressure in president scandal

Politics: 8 Jan 12
Germany's main opposition party increased its pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel over President Christian Wulff, saying his scandal was hers and calling for new elections if he were to step down. READ »

FDP in tatters as state government falls

Politics: 6 Jan 12
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition partner the Free Democratic Party (FDP) was dealt another devastating blow on Friday as the government in the small western state of Saarland collapsed. READ »

Merkel backs embattled President Wulff

National: 6 Jan 12
After several weeks of silence during her annual winter break, Chancellor Angela Merkel has come out in support of embattled German President Christian Wulff. READ »

France heads for Tobin tax without Germany

Business & Money: 6 Jan 12
France will decide on a financial transaction tax by the end of the month to set an example for Europe, even if Germany does not follow suit, an aide to President Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday. READ »

President Wulff clings on

Politics: 4 Jan 12
Embattled German President Christian Wulff said Wednesday he wanted to stay in office despite a mounting series of scandals that Chancellor Angela Merkel asked him to clear up. READ »

President to face TV grilling on loan scandal

Politics: 4 Jan 12
German President Christian Wulff said Wednesday he will submit to a TV interview on the spiralling loan scandal threatening to engulf him. The interview will be aired the same evening. READ »

Merkel and Sarkozy prepare next EU summit

Politics: 2 Jan 12
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will receive French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Berlin on January 9 to prepare for a European Union summit on January 30, it was confirmed on Monday. READ »

Employment numbers hit new record

Business & Money: 2 Jan 12
The number of employed people in Germany hit a new record in 2011, said official statistics published on Monday, with more than half a million jobs created last year in Europe's top economy. READ »

President 'used threats to try to stop scandal story'

Politics: 2 Jan 12
Embattled German President Christian Wulff has been accused of trying to block the first reports of his financial affairs by threatening criminal charges against journalists working on the story – leaving a furious rant on an answering machine. READ »

Government 'cut 100,000 from jobless figures'

Society: 31 Dec 11
Around 100,000 older jobseekers have been airbrushed out of Germany’s unemployment figures, opposition politicians say – denting claims that the country’s labour situation is the economy’s saving grace. READ »

Merkel confident despite expecting 2012 troubles

Politics: 31 Dec 11
Chancellor Angela Merkel warned of a difficult year ahead, particularly for the eurozone, but also said there were good reasons to be confident, in New Year greetings released on Saturday. READ »

Finance minister: eurozone not in danger

National: 30 Dec 11
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble has struck an optimistic tone for 2012, insisting the eurozone is in no danger of breaking up and that Europe will get its back-breaking debt situation under control. READ »

'Baron Cut-and-Paste' may return to politics

Politics: 30 Dec 11
Bavaria's state premier Horst Seehofer said on Friday he would do his best to bring disgraced former Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg back into German politics in 2012. READ »

Merkel and Sarkozy in 'Dinner for One'

Politics: 30 Dec 11
The scene is familiar – a drunk butler desperately maintains the illusion for his mistress who refuses to see all her friends are gone – but a reworked version of the cult “Dinner for One” sketch features Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel. READ »

The Local's top five politics stories of 2011

Politics: 30 Dec 11
For a country where politics sometimes seems to move at a glacial pace, Germany was practically a hotbed of drama in 2011. We’ve pulled together our favourite five political stories of the year. READ »

The Local's top five animal stories of 2011

Lifestyle: 28 Dec 11
Animals are always amusing, with their funny wet noses and their general gullibility, and no-one loves animal celebrities as much as the Germans, so we collected the year's big animal stories. What was that bear called again? READ »

Most Germans don't want president to resign

National: 26 Dec 11
Most Germans do not want President Christian Wulff to resign despite the continuing scandal over his business dealings, although roughly half have lost confidence in the head of state, according to a new poll. READ »

Despite crisis, Germany benefits from euro

National: 26 Dec 11
Ten years after the introduction of the euro, and in the midst of its biggest crisis to date, the AFP’s Celine Le Prioux says there are many reasons Europe’s biggest economy has benefited from the single currency. READ »

Wulff apologises for personal finance faux pas

Politics: 22 Dec 11
Hoping to stem questions of impropriety, German President Christian Wulff on Thursday fired his long-time spokesman and apologised for not being open about his personal finances. READ »

Popularity for FDP plummets further

Politics: 21 Dec 11
Support for Germany's Free Democratic Party (FDP) has slumped to a dismal two percent in the wake a high-profile resignation, according to an opinion poll released on Wednesday. READ »

Germany praises Czech leader Havel, dead at 75

National: 18 Dec 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel hailed the late former Czech president Vaclav Havel on Sunday as a "great European" who fought tirelessly for freedom on the continent. READ »

Wulff faces increasing attacks from all sides

Politics: 18 Dec 11
President Christian Wulff is coming under increased attacks from across the political spectrum, as politicians feel Germany's head of state has not fully explained a 2008 loan he received while serving as premier of Lower Saxony. READ »

The high price of saving the euro

Analysis & Opinion: 16 Dec 11
Has Germany saved the euro or doomed the European Union? ZEIT ONLINE’s Matthias Krupa looks at the high political price of the crisis summit in Brussels. READ »

Euro-rebels fail to derail FDP in high-stakes vote

Politics: 16 Dec 11
Rebels in German Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition partner, the Free Democratic Party (FDP), failed Friday to win party backing in opposing the eurozone's permanent bailout fund, much to the relief of leader Philipp Rösler. READ »

'Stresstest' is German word of the year

Society: 16 Dec 11
The Society for the German Language (GfdS) has decreed that three of the top five most important German words of 2011 are related to the economy, settling on Stresstest as the big winner. READ »

South Park takes aim at 'humourless' Germans

Society: 16 Dec 11
Germans should brace themselves for some crass jokes at their expense this weekend, when an episode of the US cartoon 'South Park' mocking their sense of humour is broadcast for the first time in Germany. READ »

FDP turns to another 'boygroup' member

Politics: 15 Dec 11
Germany's Free Democratic Party has picked 38-year-old Patrick Döring as its new general secretary, following the abrupt departure of Christian Lindner. Critics say it’s the last chance for party leader Philipp Rösler. READ »

Merkel sees birth of 'true political union' in Europe

Politics: 14 Dec 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday a "true political union" was emerging after European leaders backed tighter budget policing but she warned the euro crisis would take years to resolve. READ »

FDP general secretary Lindner resigns

Politics: 14 Dec 11
Christian Lindner, the general secretary of Germany’s Free Democrats (FDP), resigned on Wednesday amid controversy surrounding a grassroots attempt to derail the euro rescue fund by party members. READ »

English town ends twinning with Germany

Society: 14 Dec 11
The English town of Bishop’s Stortford has been caught up in Britain’s euro row when the council ended its twinning programme with Friedberg in Hesse just as Prime Minister David Cameron wielded his fateful veto in Brussels. READ »

Finance Minister wins major European prize

National: 11 Dec 11
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble has won the 2012 Charlemagne Prize, one of Europe's highest honours, for his work toward EU integration, said a statement released Saturday. READ »

Germany keeps door open for outcast Brits

National: 10 Dec 11
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle is still holding out hope that Britain will join the new European fiscal union – which so far comprises 23 of the 27 European Union member states. READ »

Cops search for more anarchist letter bombs

National: 9 Dec 11
Police on Friday were still searching for explosive packages after an Italian far-left group claimed responsibility for a letter bomb sent to Deutsche Bank's CEO and said that others were in the post. READ »

Exhausted Merkel hails 'very important result'

Politics: 9 Dec 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Friday that 23 members of the European Union would form a new fiscal union with tighter state budget controls, after negotiations ended at 5 am. READ »

Germany dubbed 'master of Europe' in euro crisis

Business & Money: 8 Dec 11
Germany is emerging as the master of Europe, analysts said on Thursday ahead of a make-or-break summit on the euro – as the European Central Bank (ECB) set the scene by cutting its key interest rates. READ »

Germany dampens EU crisis summit hopes

Politics: 7 Dec 11
Germany on Wednesday poured cold water on hopes for a decisive breakthrough at an EU summit over the coming two days that has been dubbed the last chance to save the beleaguered euro. READ »

Merkel pushes euro pact amid credit threat

Business & Money: 6 Dec 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday she would press on with "important" reforms for the eurozone, following a downgrade threat by credit rating agency Standard and Poor's for Germany and 14 other eurozone countries. READ »

Merkel and Sarkozy call for new euro pact

Politics: 5 Dec 11
France and Germany want a new EU treaty by March with tougher budgetary rules to deal with the eurozone debt crisis, President Nicolas Sarkozy and Chancellor Angela Merkel said after crisis talks Monday. READ »

SPD puts off picking chancellor candidate

Politics: 5 Dec 11
The Social Democratic Party (SPD) has sentenced itself to another year of unofficial wrangling for the top job of challenging Chancellor Angela Merkel in the 2013 election. READ »

Steinbrück rules out new grand coalition

Politics: 4 Dec 11
Former Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück, a leading member of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), has categorically ruled out entering a new grand coalition under Chancellor Angela Merkel. READ »

German Commissioner calls for eurobonds

National: 3 Dec 11
Germany's EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger has added his voice to those calling on Germany to give up its firm rejection of eurobonds as a means to ending the eurozone’s debt crisis. READ »

Merkel: Germany wants 'fiscal union' for euro

Politics: 2 Dec 11
Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday that Germany will push for a 'fiscal union' to impose tough budgetary discipline on the debt-ravaged eurozone as European nations move towards greater integration. READ »

Germany's leadership to euroblivion

Analysis & Opinion: 30 Nov 11
With Europe's sovereign debt crisis now threatening the survival of the euro, Germany will need to do more than simply force austerity on its neighbours, writes The Local's Marc Young. READ »

Merkel 'sorry' Pakistan to boycott Afghan meeting

Politics: 29 Nov 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday she was "very sorry" about Pakistan's announced boycott of a Bonn conference next week on the future of Afghanistan and would try to convince it to attend. READ »

Merkel: 'We have our own debts to pay'

Politics: 28 Nov 11
Germany hit back at those calling for the country to dig deeper into its pockets to solve the eurozone debt crisis, saying on Monday it had its own debts to pay off. READ »

Berlin faces isolation on ECB euro rescue role

Business & Money: 27 Nov 11
Germany faced mounting pressure Sunday to let the European Central Bank (ECB) save the crisis-hit eurozone, as reports surfaced of IMF contingency bailout planning for a re-modelled Italy. READ »

Greens weigh support for NPD ban

Politics: 27 Nov 11
The Greens will only support a new attempt at banning the neo-Nazi NPD political party if there is a good chance the effort will succeed, members said Sunday at their party conference in Kiel. READ »

First clashes as atomic waste train rolls onward

National: 25 Nov 11
Two police cars have been set on fire with Molotov cocktails as protesters attempt to block a train carrying nuclear waste from France to a depot in central Germany. READ »

Germans want neo-Nazi NPD party banned

Politics: 25 Nov 11
Three-quarters of Germans want the neo-Nazi NPD party banned, a poll showed on Friday, after the discovery of an extreme far-right cell believed to have murdered 10 people, mainly Turkish shopkeepers. READ »

Merkel and Sarkozy: Hands off Central Bank

National: 24 Nov 11
The leaders of Germany and France said the European Central Bank would not get a bigger role in alleviating the continent’s debt troubles, following a crisis meeting in Strasbourg. READ »

Does ‘Baron Cut and Paste's’ punishment fit the crime?

Analysis & Opinion: 24 Nov 11
Disgraced former Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has escaped criminal prosecution for plagiarizing his doctoral dissertation – by making a $20,000 donation to charity. Is that really fair? Have your say. READ »

Sarkozy, Merkel and Monti talk euro crisis

Politics: 24 Nov 11
The leaders of the eurozone's three largest economies including German Chancellor Merkel will meet in Strasbourg on Thursday in a bid to resolve their differences over how to handle Europe's critical debt crisis. READ »

'Baron Cut-and-Paste' pays to avoid plagiarism charges

Politics: 23 Nov 11
German prosecutors said Wednesday they dropped a plagiarism probe against Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, a former defence minister and mooted successor to Chancellor Angela Merkel, after the multi-millionaire made a donation to charity. READ »