“The voters have very clearly spoken. They said who should form the next government,” Scholz said on Monday. They strengthened three parties – the Social Democrats, the Greens and FDP [Free Democratic Party]– and therefore that is the clear mandate that the citizens of this country have given. These three …
Read More »German election: Merkel successor Laschet’s conservatives & Scholz’s social democrats TIED in exit polls as coalition talks loom
An exit poll from German broadcaster ARD shows the center-right CDU/CSU union, led by Merkel’s successor, Christian Democrat Armin Laschet, tied on 25% with the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), led by Olaf Scholz. However, an alternative exit poll by TV channel ZDF has placed the SPD slightly in the …
Read More »The mess Merkel leaves behind could eventually lead to the collapse of the EU. Now that would be a legacy to be proud of
One thing is for certain, Germany will have a new chancellor next week. This is important, not only for Germany, but also for Europe, and, indeed, the world. The German chancellor is not only the highest ranking politician in Germany – the president is largely ceremonial – it also comes …
Read More »Germans vote in historic election, with Angela Merkel set to step down after 16 years in power
Polling stations opened across Germany on Sunday morning, with just over 60 million people eligible to vote. The Bundestag officially has 598 seats, and all of them are being contested on this occasion. The actual number of seats may vary, however, due to the country’s complicated parliamentary system, which also …
Read More »52% of Germans won’t miss Chancellor Angela Merkel, new poll indicates a day before general election
In a poll of 5,007 people conducted by Civey for the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper between September 22 and 24, respondents were asked if they would miss Merkel after her chancellorship ended. The majority (52%) said they would not miss the veteran politician, who has continuously governed Germany since 2005. Just …
Read More »Talking tough on Russia but doing deals with Moscow, Merkel played both sides. Germany’s next leader may be more confrontational
The veteran politician first announced she would not be standing for reelection in 2018, saying it was time to hand over the reins. But who will pick them up, and what their stance will be on the range of issues swirling around Europe, is less clear. In previous elections, foreign …
Read More »‘Merkel’s legacy is defined by inflation, climate fanaticism & migration’ – German MEP on what may change after elections
Regardless of the result of next week’s election, it will represent a changing of the guard in German politics, as Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor of sixteen years, is stepping down from the role. The two main contenders for the chancellorship are Armin Laschet, who is Merkel’s successor as the leader …
Read More »German toy factory reveals teddy bear dedicated to Angela Merkel ahead of her resignation
Hermann-Spielwaren, located in the Bavarian city of Coburg, revealed the 40-centimeter tall toy bearing a certain resemblance to the chancellor. © hermann.de The teddy bear is sporting a hairstyle similar to Frau Merkel, while the paws can be folded to replicate the legendary hand gesture known as the ‘Merkel rhombus’. …
Read More »‘Terrorism defeated?’ Merkel says ‘not all goals’ reached after 9/11 as intel head warns of 2,000 dangerous extremists in Germany
“We have now had to recognize that although we have been able to defeat terrorism, which is endangering our security, at the present time we have not achieved all our goals,” Merkel said on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The chancellor then suggested focusing on safeguarding those few accomplishments, …
Read More »Merkel warns Germans against voting for left-wing government in last speech to parliament as election nears
In the Tuesday speech, Merkel warned Germans against voting for the center-left Social Democrats party (SPD), ahead of the upcoming general election, which will be held on September 26. Merkel said the choice was one between a “moderate” government or one with the SPD and the Green Party, which she …
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