EU-DIGEST: Germany

Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts

5/17/23

EU : Pushed out of its comfort zone and fighting back

This week, we were joined at the European Parliament in Strasbourg by Maria Irish MEP Maria Walsh from the EPP, Swedish MEP Emma Wiesner from Renew and Polish MEP Robert Biedron from S&D.

The panelists discussed how the Russian attack against Ukraine has pushed European Union out of its comfort zone.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in Germany, Europe's economic powerhouse, where decades-old sacred political principles have gone overboard.

Last year, Chancellor Olaf Scholz stood before his country's parliament and declared that Germany would undertake a Zeitenwende, or an epic turning point.

This week, before the European Parliament, Scholz doubled down on this, saying that the future cannot be won by using policies of the past and advocating a more geopolitical approach for Europe.

Berlin is reworking its energy infrastructure after having spent years being dependent on Russia, and it is becoming a green energy power.

1/25/23

Ukraine: Russian invasion: Germany and US agree on tank deliveries to Ukraine

The United States says it will send M1 Abrams tanks to Kyiv as international reluctance to send modern military hardware to Ukraine's battlefront begins to erode.

The announcement follows Germany's confirmation on Wednesday that it will supply Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks and allow its partners to do the same.

This is being seen at the first stage in a coordinated effort by the West to provide more heavy weapons to Ukraine.

1/5/23

Ukraine War : Germany donating several different types of weapons systems, including missiles to Ukraine

Germany will supply Ukraine with Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicles and a Patriot missile battery, the government announced in a joint German-US statement on Thursday.

The news of Berlin and Washington pooling to provide Kiyv with further armoured vehicles came after a conversation between Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden.

The US said it would provide Ukraine with Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles while Germany would also supply a Patriot air defence battery.

Ukraine has scored some battlefield successes since Russian forces invaded last February but has asked allies for heavier weapons to defend itself.

10/25/22

EU: France-Germany tensions 'hamstring EU's capacity to act' by lisa Louis

A recent announcement that a Franco-German ministerial meeting is being pushed back to next January appears to have revealed a deepening rift between the two countries. The alliance between Germany and France is often described as "the engine" of the European Union and analysts say the current spat is undermining the EU's capacity to act.

10/8/22

UKRAINE: NATO must do more to counter Putin's threats

The NATO military alliance must "do more" to protect itself from Russia, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said on Saturday.

9/12/22

Germany must accept leading military role, says defense minister

German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said on Monday she believed Germany was obliged to play a leading global role, including in the military sphere, and that the country should not be afraid of the responsibilty.

"Germany's size, its geographical situation, its economic power — in short, its clout — makes us a leading power whether or not we want to be one. Militarily as well," she said in a keynote security address in Berlin.

Her remarks come as Europe is struggling to come to terms with the fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with Germany rethinking its defense strategy after decades of major dependence on Washington for its security.

"The war in Ukraine has shown everyone, even us Germans who are used to peace, that states need armed forces as a last resort — that is, whenever an enemy is determined to use invasion, destruction, murder and forced displacement" as means to serve its interests, she said.

8/30/22

Germany: Olaf Scholz dreams of a larger Europe - Opinion

It was a typical Olaf Scholz speech: the chancellor spoke very calmly, almost emotionlessly. And yet there was a great deal of content: the European Union should become a powerful global player, a top region for business and technology, a large, sovereign, and pragmatic community of values that can defend itself. Who wouldn't agree with that?

Scholz clearly declared his support for further rounds of enlargement. Above all, the states of the Western Balkans, but also Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine should all become members of the European Union, according to Scholz. In the foreseeable future, this could mean 36 EU countries

8/28/22

Belarus' Claims recently made by the German chancellor Olaf Scholz have been rebuffed by Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko.

While speaking to reporters at the premises of the Minsk Mechanical Plant, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko stated that Belarus’ independence is unshakeable. This remark came in response to a comment made by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, according to Belarusian publication belta.by.

Scholz had previously quoted Vladimir Putin as allegedly denying Belarus’ and Ukraine’s independence status. Lukashenko made it perfectly clear that he does not pay attention to such things, claiming that he had heard too much fake news already.

8/27/22

Politics: Karl Marx: Five reasons why the thinker was ahead of his time

Without his wife Jenny Marx (1814-1881), Marx's accomplishments would not have been possible. Born Johanna Bertha Julie Jenny von Westphalen, Marx's better half was not only a journalist but also his first critical reader. She debated with him and the publicist and philosopher Friedrich Engels and collaborated on the creation of the "Communist Manifesto." In the only handwritten version of the booklet that has survived the years, the first lines are written by her.

As a journalist, she wrote texts about the 1848 March Revolution in Germany and reviews of William Shakespeare for the renowned Frankfurter Zeitung newspaper, negotiated with publishers and spoke a number of foreign languages — better than her husband. Her skills came in handy, since the Marx family was forced to spend most of their lives in exile. Friedrich Engels called her and her husband the two "highly gifted natures" and said of Jenny after her death that "her bold and wise counsel" would be bitterly missed.

In 1866, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels helped make the eight-hour day an official demand of the International Workers Association. As early as the 1810s, Welshman Robert Owen is said to have coined the slogan in Britain: "Eight hours work, eight hours sleep, and eight hours leisure and recreation."

The eight-hour day was introduced by law in Germany, for the first time in 1918. Since then, however, the law is changing: Six-hour days are now being tested in several European countries.

R ead more at : https://www.dw.com/en/karl-marx-five-reasons-why-the-thinker-was-ahead-of-his-time/a-60716738

8/22/22

Germany and Canada hold energy supply talks

New German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his deputy, Economic Affairs and Climate Action Minister Robert Habeck, kicked off a three-day trip to Canada on Monday, seeking to arrange short-term gas-based energy solutions and to explore longer-term, cleaner options, such as green hydrogen.

In a joint press conference in Montreal, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hailed his German counterpart Scholz as an "extremely important progressive voice," and expressed optimism about mutually beneficial business investments and cooperation defending Ukraine from Russian aggression.

7/25/22

Russia's Gazprom further cuts gas flow to Europe by half amid turbine dispute

he logo of Russia's energy giant Gazprom is pictured at one of its petrol stations in Moscow on July 11. The Russian state-run energy company said supplies through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany would drop to just 20 per cent of capacity. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images)

Russia tightened its gas squeeze on Europe on Monday as Gazprom, Russia's state-owned energy corporation, said supplies through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany would drop to just 20 per cent of capacity.

Read more at: Russia's Gazprom further cuts gas flow to Europe by half amid turbine dispute | CBC News

6/28/22

Ukraine War: Germany, Netherlands promise additional howitzers to Ukraine

The latest weapons pledges come after the first delivery of German heavy weapons arrived in Ukraine last week. Kyiv has urged for allies to send more modern weapons as Russia's invasion presses on.

Germany and the Netherlands will deliver six additional self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht and her Dutch counterpart Kasja Ollongren announced on Tuesday in Madrid.

The two officials made the announcement on the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Spanish capital. Each of the two countries will provide three of the artillery weapons.

"We show our resolve and our commitment to Ukraine, and not to give in to this Russian aggression," Ollongren said.

Read more at: Germany, Netherlands promise additional howitzers to Ukraine | News | DW | 28.06.2022

5/13/22

Ukraine: Germany′s Scholz and Russia′s Putin discuss stalled peace talks

In heir first phone call in weeks, Germany's Scholz and Russia's Putin spoke about the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the EU said it would provide Ukraine with another €500 million for military aid.

Read more at: Ukraine: Germany′s Scholz and Russia′s Putin discuss stalled peace talks — live updates | News | DW | 13.05.2022

5/7/22

German defense chief recommends international security zone in Syria

The current situation in Syria "requires a stronger European initiative," said Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer in an interview with DW. A deployment of German troops to the region, however, must be decided by parliament.

Germany's proposal for the establishment of an internationally controlled security zone in Syria would be in cooperation with Turkey and Russia, Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told DW in an exclusive interview Monday evening.

"This security zone would seek to resume the fight against terror and against the 'Islamic State,' which has currently come to a standstill," she said. "It would also ensure that we stabilize the region so that rebuilding civilian life is once again possible, and so that those who have fled can also return

2/18/22

Germany- Coronavirus restrictions: Germany announces end to most COVID restrictions on March 20

Germany's leaders on Wednesday announced plans to end most of the country's coronavirus restrictions by March 20, a decision that coincided with moves by neighboring Austria and Switzerland to drop many of their curbs sooner.

Read more at: Germany announces end to most COVID restrictions on March 20 - ABC News

2/3/22

U.S. to Deploy 3,000 Troops to Romania, Poland, Germany > U.S. Department of Defense

The United States will move approximately 3,000 service members to Romania, Poland and Germany in response to Russia's continuing build-up of forces on its western border with Ukraine and in Belarus, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said today during a news conference.

The move demonstrates America's commitment to the defense of NATO allies, Kirby said. Russian President Vladimir Putin has deployed a full range of military capabilities on its western border. While U.S. officials still believe Putin has not made up his mind to invade Ukraine again, he certainly has the capabilities needed to do so, the press secretary said.

Read more at: U.S. to Deploy 3,000 Troops to Romania, Poland, Germany > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News

1/19/22

EU-US relations - disagreement on Ukrain policy: Why Germany refuses weapons deliveries to Ukraine

Germany and its allies are struggling to agree on a response to Russia's unclear intentions. German policymakers, including within the three-party coalition government, are also debating among themselves.

On Tuesday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, of the Social Democrats (SPD), said Russia would pay a "high price" in the event of an invasion of Ukraine. On Wednesday, Scholz reiterated that silence on the issue of Ukraine was not an option. His foreign minister, the Greens' Annalena Baerbock, has made similar expressions of solidarity with Ukraine but rejected its latest request for weapons deliveries.

Read more at: Why Germany refuses weapons deliveries to Ukraine | Germany | News and in-depth reporting from Berlin and beyond | DW | 19.01.2022

EU-Germany: Why Germany refuses weapons deliveries to Ukraine | Germany | News and in-depth reporting from Berlin and beyond

It hasn't taken long to put the new German government's talk of a bolder and more values-based foreign policy to the test. After just six weeks in power, it finds itself confronted by Russia's military moves against Ukraine, which fears another attack from its bigger and more powerful neighbor.

Germany and its allies are struggling to agree on a response to Russia's unclear intentions. German policymakers, including within the three-party coalition government, are also debating among themselves.

On Tuesday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, of the Social Democrats (SPD), said Russia would pay a "high price" in the event of an invasion of Ukraine. On Wednesday, Scholz reiterated that silence on the issue of Ukraine was not an option. His foreign minister, the Greens' Annalena Baerbock, has made similar expressions of solidarity with Ukraine but rejected its latest request for weapons deliveries.

Read more at: Why Germany refuses weapons deliveries to Ukraine | Germany | News and in-depth reporting from Berlin and beyond | DW | 19.01.2022

EU-France: Macron says EU must start own dialogue with Russia over Ukraine | France

In a wide-ranging speech in Strasbourg, Macron said it was not sufficient for the US to negotiate with the Kremlin over its threats to peace but that Europe needed to have its voice heard.

Macron said he hoped to revitalise four-way talks between Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine, known as the Normandy format, to find a solution to the escalating crisis.

The French president, who was speaking to mark the start of his country’s six-month presidency of the EU, told MEPs: “I think our credibility vis-a-vis Russia lies primarily in entering into demanding dialogue.

Read more at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/19/macron-says-eu-must-start-own-dialogue-with-russia-over-ukraine | The Guardian

1/10/22

Germany: COVID and diplomacy will challenge the German government in 2022

The most important issue facing Germans as 2022 begins is the same as a year ago: the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is one key difference: Back then, the upcoming vaccination campaign still gave hope that the end would soon be in sight.

But one year and well over 100 million vaccine doses later, the number of new infections in Germany is substantially higher than it was at the start of 2021.

In order to get more people to get vaccinated, the government could soon implement a universal vaccine mandate. That would mean politicians across the board would be guilty of breaking a promise, with former Christian Democrat Chancellor Angela Merkel, her Social Democrat successor Olaf Scholz and Free Democrat leader Christian Lindner, now finance minister, all previously ruling out such a move.

Read more art: COVID and diplomacy will challenge the German government in 2022 | Germany | News and in-depth reporting from Berlin and beyond | DW | 01.01.2022

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