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☆ Germany bans neo-Nazi group, raids members' homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO-German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser attends a session of the lower house of parliament, Bundestag, at the Reichstag building, in Berlin, Germany September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Sept 27 (Reuters) - German authorities raided dozens of locations nationwide on Wednesday after interior minister Nancy Faeser banned a right-wing extremist group accused of spreading Nazi ideology. The headquarters of the group, dubbed "Artgemeinschaft", as well as 26 homes belonging to 39 members were searched in the early hours across 12 states, the interior ministry said in a statement. "This right-wing extremist group has tried to raise new enemies of the constitution with its disgusting indoctrination of children and young people." German authorities this month banned another neo-Nazi group, "Hammerskins Deutschland" with roots in the United States and raided the homes of 28 members after an investigation lasting more than a year in co-operation with U.S. officials.

Persons: Nancy Faeser, Liesa, arsonists, Faeser, Friederike Heine, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Bundestag, REUTERS, Rights, Nazi, U.S, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, United States

Paris CNN —King Charles and Queen Camilla have just wrapped up their long-awaited state visit to France, spending their final day in the southwest of the country. The royal trip to France has been seen by many as a continuation of the two neighbors' efforts to reset relations in a post-Brexit world. French President Emmanuel Macron rolled out the red carpet for King Charles III. Another element that looks likely to become a staple of state visits from King Charles is the focus on green issues. Throughout the trip, French news broadcasters went into daily special programming, with their commentators dissecting every move in their hours-long coverage.

Persons: Paris CNN — King Charles, Queen Camilla, Charles, Camilla, Daniel Leal, It’s, Queen, Emmanuel Macron, Charles ’, King Charles III, Christian Liewig, Russia’s, Ian Vogler, King Charles, Samir Hussein Organizations: CNN’s Royal, Paris CNN, Royal Navy, Getty, Paris, Palais du, Berlin’s Bundestag, French Locations: Paris, France, Bordeaux, Britain, Germany, British, Triomphe, Palais, Palais du Luxembourg, –, France's, AFP

Paris CNN —Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla will finally arrive in France for a state visit Wednesday, six months later than initially planned. The packed royal itinerary for the rescheduled three-day visit to Paris and Bordeaux, ending Friday, is largely unchanged save for a few additions. One new engagement will see Charles and Camilla rub shoulders with top athletes at an event highlighting the advantages of sports for young people. France's President Emmanuel Macron was forced to postpone the original royal state visit back in March. Ronny Hartmann/AFP/Getty ImagesFurssedonn-Wood agreed that the public can expect “a bit of substance” from the royal visit in France.

Persons: Paris CNN — Britain’s King Charles, Queen Camilla, Emmanuel Macron, Charles, Camilla, Brigitte Macron, Macron, ”, Queen Elizabeth II, French King Louis XIV, Ludovic Marin, reigniting, Christine Ockrent, Charles ’, ” Charles, Camilla’s, French –, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, ” Sunak, Nathan Laine, Chris Fitzgerald, Elizabeth II, Christian Poncelet, Eric Fefeberg, Scott Furssedonn, Wood, Craig Prescott, Prescott, Frank, Walter Steinmeier, Elke Budenbender, Ronny Hartmann, it’s, they’re, “, They’ll Organizations: Paris CNN, Rugby, Bibliotheque Nationale de, Mirrors, France, Getty, CNN, UK, ’, European Union, Bloomberg, French, Getty Images, British, Royal Holloway, University of London, “, CNN’s Royal Locations: France, British, Germany, Paris, Bordeaux, Franco, Bibliotheque Nationale de France, Ukraine, Sahel, Elysee, of Versailles, Versailles, “, AFP, French, New Delhi, Berlin, Salle, United Kingdom, Barbados, Eastern Caribbean, Europe, Royal

☆ No decision on European Investment Bank presidency expected this week, German finance minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner speaks during a plenum session of the lower house of parliament, Bundestag, to present the 2024 budget and financial planning of the Federal Government, in Berlin, Germany September 5, 2023. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Sept 15 (Reuters) - German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said at the informal EU finance ministers meeting on Friday that a decision is not expected this week on who will become European Investment Bank (EIB) president. "There are several well-qualified candidates, for example our host today, Nadia Calvino," Lindner said before the meeting of euro zone finance ministers. Lindner said the German government hasn't made a decision yet on which candidate to back, "but we have a clear picture of how the EIB should develop." Lindner said the bank should keep its AAA rating: "Sound banking is essential for us."

Persons: Christian Lindner, Annegret, Nadia Calvino, " Lindner, Lindner, hasn't, Maria Martinez, Miranda Murray Organizations: Bundestag, Federal Government, REUTERS, SANTIAGO DE, German Finance, European Investment Bank, AAA, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, SANTIAGO, SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

CNN —As Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) grows ever popular, the country’s once dominant Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party finds itself at a crossroads. The center-right CDU was in power for much of Germany’s post-war era and oversaw the reunification of East and West Germany. Max Schwarz/ReutersBerlin’s CDU mayor, Kai Wegner, took to X to write: “What cooperation is there to be had? Populist parties as ‘lightning rods’The CDU’s Michael Kretschmer, state premier of Saxony, believes a shift in policy is the best approach for democratic parties to stop the rise of the far-right. Opinion polls in his state, one of the five that make up Germany’s former east, put the AfD in the lead; Saxony has long been a stronghold for the far-right party.

Persons: Angela Merkel, Friedrich Merz, shockwaves, Merz, Merz backpedaled, ”, Robert Sesselmann, Max Schwarz, Kai Wegner, Jörg, “, ” “, Kühne, ” Tino Chrupalla, John MacDougall, Merkel, it’s, sadi, Michael Kretschmer, Kretschmer Organizations: CNN, Christian Democratic Union, CDU, East, Social, Green Party and Free Democrats, ZDF, Reuters Berlin’s CDU, INSA, New, SPD, Greens, ARD, Bundestag, Getty, Federal Criminal Police, UN, UNHCR, “, Citizens Locations: Germany, West Germany, Sonneberg, Thuringia, Germany’s, Saxony, Leipzig, West, East Germany, East Germans, West Germans, Saxony Anhalt, Ukraine, Poland, Syria

☆ Scholz: Germany Must Pull Together to Overcome Economic Crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday called on the ruling coalition and democratic opposition to pull together to overcome the "mildew of red tape, risk averseness and despondency" that has weighed down Europe's largest economy in recent years. This was also key, he said, to fend off "those who want to draw political profit from decline scenarios and panic-mongering" amid a sharp rise in support for Germany's far-right. "The citizens are fed up with this standstill, and I am too," Scholz said in a speech to the Bundestag lower house of parliament during a session on the 2024 budget, sporting a black eye patch following a jogging accident. The chancellor announced a new "Germany pact" with a bundle of measures aimed at streamlining the country's notoriously slow bureaucracy and speeding up the digitalization of the economy. Political Cartoons on World Leaders View All 226 Images(Reporting by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Miranda Murray)

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Scholz, Sarah Marsh, Miranda Murray Organizations: BERLIN Locations: Germany

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during a plenum session of the lower house of parliament, Bundestag, for a general debate on the Federal Government policy in Berlin, Germany September 6, 2023. The chancellor announced a new "Germany pact" with a bundle of measures aimed at reducing bureaucracy, speeding up approval processes for new construction and digitising citizens’ access to key government services. The chancellor rejected the idea of fresh stimulus to boost an economy battling high inflation, financing costs and a drop in exports. Such sums showed Germany was holding its own vis-à-vis the U.S. and the $430 billion U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, he said. For a special Reuters World News podcast on what is ailing the German economy please click here .

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Annegret, Scholz, Sarah Marsh, Andreas Rinke, Thomas Escritt, Miranda Murray, Friederike Heine Our Organizations: Bundestag, Federal Government, REUTERS, Scholz's Social Democrats, Deutsche, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, BERLIN, Europe's

☆ A far-right German politician and the granddaughter of one of Hitler's henchmen had dog feces smeared on her in a 'disgusting' attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A German far-right politician had dog feces smeared on her at an event in Daun, southwest Germany. Beatrix von Storch, the AfD's deputy leader, is known for her controversial remarks on immigration. Beatrix von Storch, the deputy leader of the Alternative for Germany party (AfD), said the attack was "disgusting" and vowed not let it discourage her politics. "Yesterday in Rhineland-Palatinate there was another disgusting attack on me [and] the AfD," von Storch, 52, said in a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Police said in a statement that von Storch was attacked on Friday by a 35-year-old man who asked to take a photo with her and then smeared her with dog feces.

Persons: Beatrix von Storch, Adolf Hitler's, von Storch, unwaveringly, Graf Schwerin von Organizations: Service, Germany, Police, Twitter Locations: Daun, Germany, Wall, Silicon, Rhineland, Palatinate

☆ German MP says she was detained in Turkey for social media posts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Aug 13 (Reuters) - A German lawmaker said on Sunday she was detained for several hours when entering Turkey earlier this month based on social media posts she made in 2019, adding that she would still travel to Turkey and speak her mind about its government. Akbulut, a Turkey-born German citizen of Kurdish heritage, was released after making contact with the German foreign ministry, she said. It was not clear exactly what she was referring to, nor which social media posts she believed triggered the Turkish arrest warrant. The German embassy in Ankara and the consulate in Antalya were in contact with lawmaker, a source at the German foreign ministry told Reuters. Reporting by Riham Alkousaa in Berlin Additional reporting by Ece Toksabay in Ankara Editing by Ros RussellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Goekay, Tayyip Erdogan's, Akbulut, Riham Alkousaa, Ros Russell Organizations: Linke, Kurdish, Turkish Parliamentary Group, Reuters, Kurdistan Workers Party, European Union, Toksabay, Thomson Locations: Turkey, Antalya, Turkish, Germany, Berlin, Ankara, Syria, Akbulut, United States

☆ Germany's Scholz hints at more chip investments
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"I know of other plans by German companies and many others," Scholz told the Bundestag lower house of parliament after listing recent projects announced by chipmakers Intel (INTC.O) and Infineon (IFXGn.DE). He vowed that Germany's efforts would help companies become less dependent on semiconductor supplies from other regions, days after China announced restrictions on two metals used in high-speed computer chips. "Many people around the world have understood that we have to become resilient, and that there are certain industries that should necessarily be located here in Europe and in Germany," Scholz said. Intel announced plans last month to spend more than 30 billion euros ($33 billion) on developing two chip-making plants in the central city of Magdeburg. "It's an impressive signal that so many German and international companies are choosing Germany for the expansion of their semiconductor production," Scholz told the Bundestag.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Scholz, Taiwan's TSMC, Tesla, Matthias Williams, Sarah Marsh, Miranda Murray, Friederike Heine, Emma Rumney Organizations: chipmakers Intel, Infineon, Union, Intel, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Germany, Europe, China, Moscow, Magdeburg, Berlin

A director at the nonprofit Foxglove, which has helped organise a content moderators' campaign over their work conditions, described the move as "outrageous bullying". Following his appearance, trade union Verdi said Haksöz had been placed on a paid leave of absence pending an internal investigation. Meta and other social media companies have faced criticism over the working conditions of content moderators who aim to keep their platforms free from harmful material. In 2020, the firm paid a $52 million settlement to American content moderators suffering long-term mental health issues. "Cengiz was invited to testify to the German parliament about the dangerous working conditions on social media’s factory floor.

Persons: Verdi, Cengiz, Haksöz, Cengiz Haksöz, Christoph Schmitz, Schmitz, Martha Dark, Martin Coulter, Hakan Ersen, Hugh Lawson Organizations: TELUS International, Digital, TELUS, Facebook, Reuters, Haksöz, Meta, Thomson Locations: Germany

[1/2] German parliamentary group leader of Alternative for Germany (AfD) party Alice Weidel speaks during budget debate in the plenary hall of German lower house of parliament, or Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany November 23, 2022. Asked by broadcaster ntv if the AfD would name a chancellor candidate, party co-chief Alice Weidel said "of course, we would also nominate (one) without these polling numbers", side-stepping a question about whether she would present herself. The likelihood of an AfD candidate becoming Germany's chancellor is very low currently given the party would need to be able to form a government and currently all other parties have ruled out working with it. The AfD is currently on track to winning the vote in all three east German states holding elections next year. Reporting by Sarah Marsh; additional Reporting by Friederike Heine; editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alice Weidel, Christian Mang, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Thomas Haldenwang, Haldenwang, Hans Vorlaender, Sarah Marsh, Friederike Heine, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Scholz's Social Democrats, ntv, Thomson Locations: Germany, Berlin, BERLIN, Dresden

June 14 (Reuters) - Hundreds of social media moderators in Germany – who remove harmful content from platforms such as Facebook and TikTok – are calling on lawmakers to improve their working conditions, citing tough targets and mental health issues. Meta has faced mounting pressure over the working conditions of content moderators keeping its platform safe. In 2020, the firm paid a $52 million settlement to American content moderators suffering long-term mental health. "Without us, social media companies would collapse overnight," reads the petition, seen by Reuters. "Social media can never be safe until our own workplaces are safe and fair."

Persons: Germany –, Cengiz Haksöz, Haksöz, Meta, Martin Coulter, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Facebook, TELUS International, Digital, TELUS, Social, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Germany

[1/3] German parliamentary group co-leaders of Alternative for Germany (AfD) party Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla attend a plenary session of the lower house of parliament, Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany May 25, 2023. In France, the far-right has become a stronger rival at the ballot box, while in Italy and Sweden, they are now are in government. Germany's domestic spy agency has branded the AfD's youth wing "extremist", saying it propagated "a racial concept of society". Some AfD initiatives have won backing from mainstream voters on the more local level. Wolfgang Buechner, a Scholz government spokesman, said he was confident the coalition could whittle away at AfD support.

Persons: Alice Weidel, Tino Chrupalla, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Stefan Marschall, Michael Kretschmer, Friederich Merz, Nancy Faeser, Marc Debus, Matthias Grahl, Wolfgang Buechner, Scholz, whittle, Sarah Marsh, Andreas Rinke, Madeline Chambers, Edmund Blair Organizations: Bundestag, REUTERS, Government, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social, University of Duesseldorf, Christian Democratic Union, CDU, Greens, Scholz's, Mannheim University, Thomson Locations: Germany, Berlin, BERLIN, Scholz's, Europe, France, Italy, Sweden, Nazi, Russia, Ukraine, Germany's, Saxony, Thueringen, Brandenburg, Bautzen

☆ Germany's foreign minister: Parts of China trip 'more than shocking'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Alexander Ratz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaks during a joint press conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang (not pictured) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, April 14, 2023. Suo Takekuma/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoBERLIN, April 19 (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Wednesday described parts of her recent trip to China as "more than shocking" and said Beijing was increasingly becoming a systemic rival more than a trade partner and competitor. Beijing in turn asked Germany to support Taiwan's "reunification" and said China and Germany were not adversaries but partners. Speaking to the German Bundestag (lower house of parliament) on Wednesday about her China trip, Baerbock said "some of it was really more than shocking". China is Germany's largest trading partner, said Baerbock, but this did not mean Beijing was also Germany's most important trading partner.

☆ German government rejects Bavaria's request for nuclear power comeback
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, April 16 (Reuters) - Germany's Environment Ministry on Sunday rejected a demand from the state of Bavaria to allow it to continue operating nuclear power plants, saying jurisdiction for such facilities lies with the federal government. Germany pulled the plug on its last three nuclear power stations on Saturday, ending a six-decade programme, as Berlin enacts a plan to move to fully renewable electricity generation by 2035. The state is home to Isar II, run by German utility E.ON (EONGn.DE), which is a 1,400 megawatt (MW) plant, able to power the equivalent of a metropolis. Environment Minister Steffi Lemke said the authorisation for Isar II had expired and restarting its reactor would require a new license. "It is important to accept the state of the art in science and technology and to respect the decision of the German Bundestag," Lemke said in a statement sent to Reuters.

☆ Fact Check-Video shows German politician using snuff tobacco, not cocaine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A clip being shared online shows German politician Jens Maier using snuff tobacco, not a member of the European Parliament using cocaine, as online posts claim. Maier is not visible in a list of members of the European Parliament (here)The clip appears in a video posted on YouTube by German public broadcaster ARD at the 4:54 mark (here). This higher definition version of the clip clearly shows dark brown coloured tobacco snuff on his left hand, not cocaine, which is white in color (here), (www.dea.gov/factsheets/cocaine). The Bundestag’s Press Office said they were not able to comment as Maier was no longer a member of the parliament. The video does not show a European Parliament member using cocaine.

☆ Macron criticised for saying Europe should take independent stance on Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, April 10 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron has caused a stir by saying Europe has no interest in accelerating the conflict in Taiwan and should become a "third pole" independent of both Washington and Beijing. Political actors on both sides of the Atlantic criticised the president's position as being too accommodating of China, just as it carries out military drills around Taiwan. China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. He added that the French president was "increasingly isolating himself in Europe." If Europe doesn't "pick sides between the U.S. and China over Taiwan, then maybe we shouldn't be picking sides either [on Ukraine]," the Republican senator said.

☆ In Germany, King Charles honours victims of WWII allied bombings
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Phil Noble | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

- Britain's Royal Couple is on a three-day tour in Germany for Charles' first state visit as king, with the trip billed as "an important European gesture" to maintain strong ties after Brexit. The gesture comes on the last day of Charles' three-day tour of Germany, his first overseas state trip since ascending the British throne last year designed to strengthen bilateral and European ties. "Together we must be vigilant against threats to our values and freedoms, and resolute in our determination to confront them." "I am looking forward to seeing Hamburg’s plans to use hydrogen in its efforts to become a fully sustainable port." Throughout his visit, German officials have praised his interest in environmental causes and sustainability that has shone through in the engagements he has chosen to undertake.

[1/7] BERLIN, GERMANY - MARCH 30: King Charles III addresses members of the German Bundestag at the Reichstag Building on March 30, 2023 in Berlin, Germany. The king, on the second day of a three-day trip to Germany, alternated between German and English for the half-hour speech, which won a standing ovation from lawmakers. Both Britain and Germany had shown "vital leadership", Charles said, praising Berlin's decision to provide large military support to Ukraine as "remarkably courageous, important and appreciated". Throughout his visit, German officials have praised his interest in environmental causes and sustainability that has shone through in the engagements he has chosen to understake. Charles had been due to travel first to France but cancelled that part of the tour due to violent social unrest there.

The fact that Charles had picked France and Germany for his first state visit, even before his coronation in May, was an important "European gesture", said German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who greeted Charles and his wife Queen Consort Camilla in Berlin. "Today, exactly six years after Britain started its exit from the European Union, we are opening a new chapter in our relations," Steinmeier said. [1/14] Britain's King Charles III and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier review an honor guard during a ceremonial welcome at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, on March 29, 2023. Steinmeier said he had invited Charles to visit Germany at Elizabeth's funeral last September. However, any warmer relations with Europe brought about by the visit could cool if other post-Brexit issues flare up.

☆ Germany to send additional 12 billion euros in military support to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, March 29 (Reuters) - The German government has agreed to send an additional 12 billion euros ($13.01 billion) worth of military support to Ukraine. The additional funding includes 3.2 billion euros to be disbursed in 2023 and credit lines for the period between 2024 and 2032 amounting to some 8.8 billion euros. "With the money, Ukraine can directly buy armaments with the support of the German government," three politicians representing the coalition government on the committee said in a statement. "It is important to support Ukraine as long as necessary," they said. Since the start of the Russian invasion, the German government has made available more than 14.2 billion euros in support for Ukraine, according to the foreign office.

☆ German coalition government ends dispute after marathon negotiations
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A general view as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz holds a government statement during a plenary session of the lower house of parliament, Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany, March 16, 2023. REUTERS/Christian MangBERLIN, March 28 (Reuters) - Germany's ruling coalition government on Tuesday presented the results of 30-hour negotiations aimed at resolving a spat that has threatened to delay major policy initiatives in Europe's top economy. Scholz, whom critics have accused of not providing sufficient leadership, played down the differences among the parties by suggesting the coalition reached "some very good agreements" but did not give details. Earlier this month Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the FDP delayed his presentation of the draft budget due to coalition rifts. Notably, the FDP wants to rein in spending while the Greens want to invest more in the transition to a carbon neutral economy.

[1/2] Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla leave after their visit to the Bolton Town Hall, in Bolton, Britain January 20, 2023. Steinmeier, said it was an important "European gesture" that Charles had chosen France and Germany for his first state visit, even before his coronation in May. Steinmeier said he had extended an invitation to Charles, who has traveled to Germany more than 40 times, at the funeral of his mother last September. However, any warmer relations with Europe brought about by the visit could cool quickly if other post-Brexit issues flare up. Macron has suggested Charles' visit to France could be rescheduled for the summer.

[1/2] Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev speak before a meeting with members of the government in Moscow, Russia January 15, 2020. The ICC issued an arrest warrant on Friday, accusing Putin of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. Any attempt to detain Putin, though, would be a declaration of war, said Medvedev, who serves as deputy chairman of Putin's powerful security council. Russian officials deny war crimes in Ukraine and say the West has ignored what it says are Ukrainian war crimes. "Ukraine is part of Russia," Medvedev said, adding that almost all of modern-day Ukraine had been part of the Russian empire.

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