Germany edition

Sarkozy

The following articles have been tagged with "Sarkozy":

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

Germans work six weeks a year longer than French

National: 13 Jan 12
Germans work six weeks longer each year than their French counterparts – but the European champions for staying out of the office are the Finns, new data shows. 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, 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 »

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 »

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 »

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 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 »

'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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

Baton-swinging cops in anti-nuke showdown

National: 23 Nov 11
Baton-wielding French police battled anti-nuclear protesters Wednesday as the last convoy of German nuclear waste to be treated in France was prepared for its journey home. READ »

Germany says eurobonds no 'cure' for debt crisis

Business & Money: 21 Nov 11
The idea of introducing so-called "eurobonds" across the 17-nation eurozone should not be considered a miracle remedy for its debt crisis, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said on Monday. READ »

Berlin has not ruled out Greek eurozone exit

National: 13 Nov 11
Germany's government has worked out contingency plans in the event that Greece has to quit the eurozone, according to a report published in Der Spiegel magazine. READ »

Merkel disappointed with G20 commitment

Politics: 4 Nov 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned on Friday that the G20 summit may end without agreeing a much needed financial boost for Europe's rescue fund for indebted countries. READ »

Merkel waiting for Greek 'action' on bailout

Politics: 3 Nov 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Greece on Thursday that it was "actions that count" following reports it could abandon a referendum on a bailout package. READ »

European leaders give Greece a final ultimatum

Politics: 3 Nov 11
Germany and France have warned Greece it will not get “one more cent” from the European Union or International Monetary Fund unless Athens abides by the terms of a rescue deal agreed upon last week. READ »

Merkel: EU needs clarity on Greek euro package

Politics: 2 Nov 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday that Europe needed clarity from Athens on how it planned to implement an EU debt rescue package, ahead of crunch talks with Greece's prime minister. READ »

Schäuble says Greece will stay in eurozone

Politics: 2 Nov 11
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said Wednesday he was confident the Greeks would not vote against the EU debt deal in an upcoming referendum just announced by Prime Minister George Papandreou. READ »

Merkel to join crisis talks on Greek vote threat

Politics: 1 Nov 11
The leaders of France and Germany will meet the head of the IMF, top European officials and Greek representatives on Wednesday after Greece's shock referendum decision, a joint Franco-German statement said. READ »

Merkel: No apology to Berlusconi for smirk

Politics: 27 Oct 11
Angela Merkel's spokesman on Thursday denied Germany's chancellor apologized to Silvio Berlusconi for supposedly sharing a smirk at an EU summit with French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Italian leader's expense. READ »

Eurozone rescue plan to lean on banks

Business & Money: 24 Oct 11
Eurozone crisis talks in Brussels over the weekend took small steps towards agreement, it emerged on Monday morning, as negotiations continued to put details to Germany’s parliament by the end of the day. READ »

Merkel reins in EU weekend summit hopes

National: 23 Oct 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel sought to dampen expectations over the outcome of a European Union summit on Sunday, saying the weekend meeting was not due to result in any firm decisions on solutions to the eurozone debt crisis. READ »

Obama in eurozone crisis talks with Merkel, others

Business & Money: 21 Oct 11
US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron weighed in on the eurozone crisis with the French and German leaders Thursday, ahead of a crucial weekend EU summit, the White House said. READ »

Berlin and Paris make new euro rescue bid

Politics: 20 Oct 11
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet Saturday to prepare a "global and ambitious answer" to the eurozone crisis ahead two key EU summits, they said in a statement issued in Paris. READ »

Leaders meet ahead of euro summit

Politics: 20 Oct 11
Chancellor Angela Merkel met French President Nicolas Sarkozy and other key European figures in Frankfurt ahead of this weekend’s Brussels summit on the Greek debt crisis. READ »

Merkel signs export deal with Mongolia

Politics: 13 Oct 11
Germany and Mongolia signed a deal on Thursday aimed at developing exports of coal, copper and other natural resources, as the vast Asian country opens its huge reserves to foreign investors. READ »

Germany ready to impose financial transaction tax

Business & Money: 13 Oct 11
Germany is prepared to introduce a tax on financial market transactions on its own if it is unable to bring its European partners on board, according to Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble. READ »

Merkel predicts bailout ratification

Business & Money: 12 Oct 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel predicted Wednesday a eurozone bailout fund would be ratified this month despite rejection by Slovakia, and said all of Europe must help fight the crisis. READ »

Merkel visits Vietnam, Mongolia to talk trade

Politics: 10 Oct 11
Fresh from a euro crisis meeting with France, German Chancellor Angela Merkel embarks Monday on a visit to Vietnam and Mongolia, hoping to clinch deals on trade and precious raw materials. READ »

Schröder offers plan to save Europe

Politics: 10 Oct 11
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has called for radical moves to be made to save Europe from its growing financial crisis in what he calls his “Agenda 2012.” READ »

Merkel and Sarkozy agree to bolster Europe's banks

Politics: 9 Oct 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday that Paris and Berlin agreed Europe had to shore up its banks amid the ongoing sovereign debt crisis. READ »

Merkel and Sarkozy back Greece as worries mount

Politics: 15 Sep 11
Germany and France believe debt-ridden Greece's future lies in the eurozone, as Athens vows to stick to the harsh austerity measures needed for an EU bailout. READ »

FDP defies Merkel with talk of Greek default

Politics: 14 Sep 11
The German government continues to be shaken by the insistence of junior coalition partner the Free Democratic Party openly talking about the possibility of a Greek default in the euro crisis. READ »

Eurozone avoids chaos, but debt crisis persists

Business & Money: 7 Sep 11
The eurozone avoided a nightmare scenario after Germany's top court authorised bailouts, but caveats imposed by the judges risk limiting the bloc's options to resolve the debt crisis, analysts say. READ »

Merkel emphasizes 'no' to eurobonds, for now

Politics: 22 Aug 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel late on Sunday underscored her opposition to eurobonds, which would pool the 17 eurozone nations' debt, but left the door open to a change in policy at a later date. READ »

Bank boss calls for EU finance minister

Business & Money: 21 Aug 11
The head of Germany's Commerzbank Martin Blessing has called for a unified European economic policy organized by a finance minister to stabilize the single currency. The only alternative is to abandon the euro, he said. READ »

Rösler says financial transaction tax must apply to all EU members

Business & Money: 19 Aug 11
German Economy Minister Philipp Rösler has shown the government’s hand on the subject of a financial transactions tax, saying he would only support one applied to all European Union countries, not just the eurozone. READ »

Germans doubt Merkel can avert financial crisis

Politics: 19 Aug 11
Three out of four Germans doubt Chancellor Angela Merkel can prevent the eurozone debt crisis turning into an outright economic and financial crisis, according to an opinion poll released Friday. READ »

Germany, France and UK tell Syria's Assad to go

Politics: 18 Aug 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy of France and British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday jointly urged Syria's embattled leader Bashar Al-Assad to step down. READ »

Finance industry blasts proposed tax

Business & Money: 17 Aug 11
Financial sector players wasted no time on Wednesday in slamming a mooted financial transactions tax, saying it would push business to rival global centres and be hard to enforce. READ »

Media roundup: Plotting the euro's future in Paris

Analysis & Opinion: 17 Aug 11
With the eurozone debt crisis still simmering, Germany and France have proposed an economic government for Europe’s currency union. But newspapers in The Local’s media roundup aren’t so sure it will be enough to save the euro. READ »

Sarkozy and Merkel plan eurozone government

Politics: 16 Aug 11
France's Nicolas Sarkozy and Germany's Angela Merkel vowed to give the eurozone bloc a "true economic government" Tuesday, but experts said their pledges were not enough to defuse the debt crisis. READ »

Growth grinds to a halt

Business & Money: 16 Aug 11
The German economy grew by a meagre 0.1 percent in the second quarter of the year, while expansion in the first quarter was slower than originally reported, according to official data published on Tuesday. READ »

Germany fights growing support for eurobonds

Business & Money: 15 Aug 11
The German government is struggling to maintain its line against the issue of eurobonds to try to stem the European debt crisis, with opposition parties and heavyweight European figures lining up to push the idea. READ »

Schäuble calls for solidarity to fight crisis

Business & Money: 14 Aug 11
The eurozone can only be reformed "step by step," German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said Saturday, calling for European solidarity to achieve necessary reforms. READ »

Investor Soros blames Merkel for euro crisis

Business & Money: 12 Aug 11
US investment guru George Soros has squarely blamed Germany for the escalation of Europe’s debt crisis – and in particular Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cautious approach. READ »

Merkel, Sarkozy to hold debt crisis meeting

Business & Money: 11 Aug 11
Chancellor Angela Merkel is to hold crisis talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy next week in a bid to solve the eurozone debt crisis amid continuing turmoil in financial markets. READ »

DAX tanks amid global economic fears

Business & Money: 8 Aug 11
Germany’s DAX stock index on Monday dropped to its lowest level in nearly a year on investors' fears about the downgrading of the US credit rating and the eurozone debt crisis. READ »

Germany says Syria's Assad losing legitimacy

Politics: 8 Aug 11
The German government warned on Monday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will forfeit legitimacy if his regime continues to carry out acts of violence against demonstrators. There were also calls to boycott Syrian gas and oil. READ »

Eurozone scrambles to calm investors

Business & Money: 8 Aug 11
Germany and other world economic powers scrambled late on Sunday to shore up confidence in global financial markets with pledges to do whatever was necessary to protect the euro currency and stem the debt crisis. READ »

Merkel pledges new steps to punish Syria

National: 6 Aug 11
The leaders of Germany and France joined US President Barack Obama on Friday in pledging to consider new steps to punish Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and his government over "indiscriminate" attacks on civilians. READ »

Merkel talks euro rescue with France and Spain

Politics: 5 Aug 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel was set to hold an emergency telephone conference with her French and Spanish counterparts on Friday amid fears that jittery financial markets could threaten the euro and damage the global economy. READ »

Franco-German alliance for warships mooted

National: 1 Aug 11
Germany and France are reportedly considering a military ship-building alliance, an "EADS of the Seas," that could resemble their current arrangement for military aircraft. READ »

Germany, France break euro bailout deadlock

Politics: 21 Jul 11
Germany and France broke their deadlock over a new bailout for Greece ahead of an emergency eurozone summit on Thursday aimed at saving the euro from the worst crisis in its 12-year history. READ »

ECB says Greek bond purchase plan plausible

Business & Money: 20 Jul 11
The European Central Bank's German chief economist said Wednesday that a proposal for an EU rescue fund to buy Greek bonds might work but that markets would likely still feel Athens had defaulted on its debt. READ »

Merkel meets Sarkozy ahead of Euro summit

Politics: 20 Jul 11
Chancellor Angela Merkel is meeting French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday evening in a hastily-arranged meeting a day before the European summit which will look at formulating a second rescue package for Greece. READ »

German banks agree to help bail out Greece

Business & Money: 30 Jun 11
German banks agreed Thursday with the German government to participate in a second debt rescue package for Athens by rolling over some of their Greek bonds, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said. READ »

Merkel tells bankers to help bailout Greece

Business & Money: 29 Jun 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel Wednesday called on bankers to help bailout Greece, saying they "should lend a hand" to eurozone governments trying to hammer out a new rescue package for the debt-ridden country. READ »

Schäuble warns Greece to reform for bailout

Business & Money: 20 Jun 11
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble stepped up pressure on Greece on Monday, insisting the debt-laden country won’t get its next €12 billion bailout instalment without decisive economic reform. READ »

Merkel repeats call for bank aid in debt crisis

National: 19 Jun 11
Chancellor Angela Merkel called for "substantial" aid from private creditors to resolve Greek debt woes on Saturday, as the Eurogroup warned the crisis could spread like a firestorm through EU economies. READ »

Opposition ridicules Merkel's bailout deal

National: 18 Jun 11
Germany's opposition parties have poured scorn on the compromise brokered between Angela Merkel and French president Nicolas Sarkozy on a new Greek bailout package, which calls for the private sector to contribute voluntarily. READ »

Berlin and Paris call for urgent Greece bailout

National: 17 Jun 11
The leaders of France and Germany called Friday for a new Greece rescue package to be worked out quickly, as Chancellor Angela Merkel Friday veered away from a collision course with the European Central Bank. READ »

Merkel to meet Sarkozy on Greek crisis

Business & Money: 16 Jun 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel faces a showdown with French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday as the two leaders meet to discuss eurozone plans to rescue crisis-hit Greece. READ »

Merkel calls for global nuclear reactor tests

Politics: 26 May 11
Chancellor Angela Merkel called on the rest of the world to carry out atomic reactor “stress tests” and demanded the G8 take a leading role in nuclear security on Thursday, ahead of a meeting of the group of leading nations. READ »

Berlin 'respects' decision to quit by Strauss-Kahn

Politics: 19 May 11
Germany said Thursday it respected Dominique Strauss-Kahn's decision to quit as head of the International Monetary Fund, saying it will allow the lender to get back quickly to normality. READ »

Merkel and Netanyahu discuss Mideast peace

National: 14 May 11
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed Israeli-Palestinian ties on Friday, a week before Netanyahu takes his battle against Palestinian statehood to Washington. READ »

Merkel prepared to back Draghi for ECB job

Business & Money: 11 May 11
Germany is ready to back Italy's central bank chief Mario Draghi to take over as European Central Bank president, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday. READ »

Merkel plays down French rift over Palestine

Politics: 6 May 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel late on Thursday played down differences with France on recognition of a Palestinian state, saying they shared the goal of a quick relaunch of Middle East peace talks. READ »

Bishop says Europe must take refugees

National: 24 Apr 11
Germany and Europe should open their doors to refugees fleeing North African unrest and instability rather than barricading the borders, according to the Evangelical Bishop of Central Germany, Ilse Junkermann. READ »

Merkel to meet Abbas as Europe mulls recognising Palestinian state

Politics: 23 Apr 11
Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas in Berlin on May 5, the German government said Friday, as Europe mulls the recognition of a Palestinian state. READ »

Abbas to seek German help for Palestine

National: 17 Apr 11
Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas has said he will visit France next week and Germany in May to seek advice on the creation of a Palestinian state. READ »

Bickering NATO allies discuss Libya in Berlin

Politics: 14 Apr 11
NATO foreign ministers met Thursday in Berlin amid a growing rift over the pace of air strikes in Libya, as calls mounted for allies to intensify the bombing campaign to prevent a stalemate on the ground. READ »

Germany provokes more tensions over Libya

National: 25 Mar 11
Angela Merkel’s government has gone on the offensive over its maligned Libya policy, pushing hard for a complete oil embargo and even hinting that its NATO allies are hypocrites for bombing the country while still buying its oil. READ »

Bad marks for Merkel's response to atomic crisis

National: 19 Mar 11
Nearly one-half of those asked in a new poll were critical of Chancellor Angela Merkel's management in the face of the nuclear crisis in Japan. Merkel is in Paris on Saturday for a meeting with world leaders on Libya. READ »

Merkel demands Qaddafi step down immediately

National: 11 Mar 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday demanded Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi step down immediately, as his forces continued to advance on rebel-held parts of the North African nation. READ »

Merkel's tough euro plan sparks backlash

Politics: 4 Feb 11
Germany and France launched a radical drive Friday to unify the diverse, debt-ridden eurozone economy, but plans to stifle wage growth provoked an immediate backlash. READ »

Merkel steps up pressure on Egypt's Mubarak

Politics: 31 Jan 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel pressed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to refrain from violence in dealing with the protests in his country during a phone conversation Sunday, her office said. READ »

Germany, France, UK warn Egypt on violence

National: 29 Jan 11
British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Egypt's Hosni Mubarak to avoid violence "at all costs" in a joint statement Saturday. READ »

Merkel says debt biggest danger to Europe

Business & Money: 28 Jan 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday called on fellow European countries to slash their deficits, warning that debt is the main threat to the economies of the crisis-hit eurozone. READ »

Germany to develop 'happiness index'

National: 17 Jan 11
German politicians Monday began investigating ways to gauge the country's quality of life and prosperity as a way to complement gross domestic product (GDP) figures in Europe's top economy. READ »

Merkel vows not to 'abandon' euro nations

Politics: 15 Dec 10
German Chancellor Angela Merkel moved Wednesday to silence fears of a eurozone break-up, saying that although some members faced tough challenges, Europe's paymaster would not desert them. READ »

The royal Guttenbergs

Analysis & Opinion: 14 Dec 10
Not used to glamorous politicians, Germans are both dazzled and dismayed by Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg and his wife Stephanie. But Der Tagesspiegel’s Malte Lehming believes that might be changing. READ »