EU To Shut Borders As France, Germany Tighten Restrictions To Control Coronavirus
With the number of coronavirus cases pushing past 180,000 worldwide, the European Union proposed the closure of its external borders for 30 days in a move to contain the spread of the pandemic, while Germany and France, among the hardest-hit countries in the region, imposed new restrictions on their citizens aimed at increasing social distancing. […]
Von der Leyen: ‘Europe must learn the language of power’
The European Union needs to take a more active role in global politics if it wants to protect its interests, incoming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday. “Europe must also learn the language of power,” von der Leyen said during a speech on European policy in Berlin. “On the one hand, […]
China backs multilateralism initiative
China is supporting a move by France and Germany to launch an Alliance for Multilateralism, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said on Monday, stressing that Beijing backs any effort to promote global cooperation. “China has always been a firm defender, supporter and practitioner of multilateralism,” Lu said. He added that the world needs multilateralism […]
UN Security Council: Germany, France share presidency
Germany is currently serving as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. From the beginning of April, it officially takes over the chair — as part of a “dual presidency” with France. What is a “dual presidency?” Germany and France are both currently serving on the UN Security Council. France has a permanent […]
Merkel: Iran’s policy in Syria threatens Israel
German Chancellor tells Israeli TV Germany is working to ensure Iranian forces don’t get “too close to the Golan Heights.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday that Iran’s policy in Syria is a threat to Israel and that Germany is working to ensure Iranian forces don’t get “too close to the Golan Heights.” She […]
Germany Approves Third Gender
Germany’s parliament has voted to recognise a third gender for government documents, meaning that citizens can now be recognised in the European country as male, female, or diverse. The change in law came late Thursday night and follows a 2017 court ruling which required the German government to either allow a third gender or to […]
Germany’s Angela Merkel To Step Down
This is the moment that will go down as the start of a new era in German politics. Angela #Merkel announces she won’t run again for either the CDU party chair or chancellor. (NB. She would like to see out THIS term as chancellor, though.)https://t.co/Rt93SVO3BY pic.twitter.com/XPfyg3VrGl — DW Politics (@dw_politics) October 29, 2018 Germany’s Chancellor […]
Germany Drafts Outline of EU-U.K. Ties Post-Brexit, Paper Shows
Germany is working on proposals for the European Union’s future relations with the U.K. that include calls for a “comprehensive free-trade accord” with the British government, according to a draft paper prepared by the Foreign Ministry in Berlin.With EU leaders due to discuss Brexit at a summit in Brussels on Thursday, the document lays out […]
In Germany, a Victory for Angela Merkel and Populism
As anticipated, Angela Merkel’s party came in first in the German national election on Sunday, assuring her of a fourth term as chancellor. That much was foreordained, even if Ms. Merkel’s center-right Christian Democrats and their Bavarian allies came in slightly below expectations, with roughly a third of the vote.Ms. Merkel’s bland slogan — “For […]
Germany tries to defuse N.Korea tensions, praises China
Germany on Wednesday vowed to do all it could to defuse tensions between the United States and North Korea, lauding China’s role in pressuring North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to delay plans to fire missiles towards the U.S. territory of Guam. But Berlin played down the idea that Germany could be a significant mediator […]