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☆ Austrian ex-chancellor Kurz goes on trial for perjury
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz speaks to media as he arrives at the Austrian People's Party (OeVP) conference in Graz, Austria May 14, 2022. REUTERS/Lisa Leutner/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsVIENNA, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Austria's conservative former chancellor Sebastian Kurz went on trial for perjury on Wednesday in a case separate from the corruption investigation that forced him from office but which could still influence his ruling party's electoral fate. Kurz, who denies all the allegations made against him, has quit politics yet the ruling coalition he formed with the left-wing Greens in 2020 remains in power. Kurz's People's Party (OVP) is currently neck-and-neck with the opposition Social Democrats in opinion polls, well behind the far-right Freedom Party on around 30%. As chancellor, Kurz was one of Europe's youngest leaders and a household name in German-speaking countries known for his hard line on immigration.

Persons: Sebastian Kurz, Lisa Leutner, Kurz, Kurz's, Gernot Bluemel, Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Francois Murphy, Alexandra Schwarz, Christina Fincher Organizations: Austrian, Austrian People's Party, REUTERS, Rights, Greens, Kurz's People's Party, Social, Party, OVP, Thomson Locations: Graz, Austria, Vienna

☆ Reality check, as Country Garden sells down a barely started Australia project
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Byron Kaye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

That has left Country Garden, once China's biggest private developer, which on Wednesday reiterated it was unlikely to meet all of its offshore debt repayments amid liquidity problems, trying to sell a project that is barely started and mired in uncertainty. Unlike Country Garden's other global projects, its financial exposure in Australia is mostly land purchase price and costs associated with subdivision. Country Garden Australia CEO Guotao Hu said in a statement the company's Australian assets "continue to perform well, in line with normal market behaviour and as planned". Country Garden did not disclose a purchase price when it announced the subdivision project in 2019, with a declaration at the time that "Risland is with the Wilton community for the long term". The Chinese firm has not said how much it hopes to make by selling most of the project.

Persons: Sebastian Pfautsch, Wilton, Suzy Brandstater, it'll, it's, Guotao Hu, Byron Kaye, Jamie Freed Organizations: HK, Wilton Greens, University of Western, Garden, Thomson Locations: Sydney, WILTON, Australia, Malaysia, Forest, Sydney's outskirts, Wilton, University of Western Sydney

☆ Tom Kim becomes youngest golfer to win three PGA Tour titles since Tiger Woods
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Almost exactly a year on from easing to a three-shot victory at the same event, it makes Kim the first golfer to defend the Shriners Children’s Open since Jim Furyk in 1999, and the youngest to win three PGA Tour titles since Tiger Woods. Orlando Ramirez/Getty ImagesA meteoric riseSunday’s success moves Kim, who clinched his maiden PGA Tour title at the Wyndham Championship in August 2022, up five places to a career-high world No. “Certainly because I’m 21, I’m not the oldest guy out here, and the kids here are even younger than me. 46 Hadwin had looked on course for a second PGA Tour title before disaster struck at the par-five 16th hole, his approach shot splashing into the water. It’s the best feeling just seeing the amount of kids out there screaming ‘Lexi, Lexi, go Lexi’.

Persons: Tom Kim, Korean phenom, Adam Hadwin, Kim, Jim Furyk, Tiger Woods, Ferrero Rocher, “ I’m, ” Kim, “, ” Kim toasts, Orlando Ramirez, Brian Harman, it’s, Shriners Children’s, I’m, Hadwin, ” Hadwin, “ Tom, Thompson, Lexi Thompson, teed, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, ” Thompson, Lexi, Lexi ’, ” Organizations: CNN, Korean, Shriners, Shriners Children’s, Wyndham Championship Locations: Las Vegas, Vegas, Europe

Many European capitals have restrictions on gasoline and diesel cars, but Strömgren says Stockholm’s complete ban would be a first. “We need to eliminate the harmful exhaust gases from (gasoline) and diesel cars. The mayor of Paris wanted to ban all diesel cars before next year’s Olympics, and gasoline cars by 2030, but has run up against resistance. Currently, any diesel cars built before 2006 and gasoline cars built before 1997 are banned in Paris and 77 surrounding towns for 12 hours a day on weekdays. The ban will expand in 2025 for diesel cars built before 2011 and pre-2006 gasoline vehicles.

Persons: Lars Strömgren, Strömgren, Stockholm’s, ” Strömgren, Pernilla Samuelsson, “, ” Samuelson, Nike Örbrink, ___ Jan Olsen, Mike Corder, Angela Charlton Organizations: STOCKHOLM, Greens, Associated Press, Taxi, Nike, Democrats, Aftonbladet Locations: Stockholm's, Swedish, Old, Taxi Stockholm, Amsterdam, Paris, Copenhagen, Denmark, The Netherlands, France

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Lexi Thompson kept a rough round from getting worse and wound up holding her own Thursday in the Shriners Children's Open until darkness kept her from finishing. Thompson was the main attraction of this FedEx Cup Fall event, the seventh woman to play a PGA Tour event and the first in five years. She was even par when she came up short of the green on par-4 seventh and had 12 feet for par. On the par-3 eighth, she came up well short in the rough, chipped about 25 feet by the hole and left her par putt 6 feet short. Then he holed a short birdie putt on the 18th for his 62.

Persons: — Lexi Thompson, Beau Hossler, Thompson, “, ” Thompson, . Poston, ” Hossler, Hossler, Cameron Champ, Davis Thompson, Lanto Griffin, Lexi Thompson's, Michelle Wie, who've, ”, ___ Organizations: LAS VEGAS, Shriners Children's, PGA, TPC, FedEx, Sony, Shriners

☆ Berlin needs to get its act together after state election results, former Siemens CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Hannah Ward-Glenton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Joe Kaeser delivers a speech during the Siemens Annual Shareholders' Meeting on February 3, 2021 in Munich, Germany. Pool | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesThe results of two state elections in Germany sent "a clear message" to Berlin that the government needs "to get their act together," Joe Kaeser, chairman of the Supervisory Board at Siemens Energy, told CNBC. The execution I think is something which has potential for improvement," Kaeser, the former CEO of Siemens, said in an interview with CNBC's Annette Weisbach Tuesday. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party gained votes in the two key regions. The AfD's candidate in Hesse, Robert Lambrou, had anticipated that voters would swing toward his party, saying that people were "heavily disappointed by the policy of the government."

Persons: Joe Kaeser, CNBC's Annette Weisbach, Angela Merkel's, Robert Lambrou, Kristalina Georgieva Organizations: Siemens, Getty, Board, Siemens Energy, CNBC, Conservative, Christian Democratic Union, CDU, Christian Social Union, Social Democrats, Greens, Free Democrats, IMF Locations: Munich, Germany, Berlin, Hesse, Bavaria, Germany's

☆ Explainer-What Is Australia's Indigenous Voice to Parliament Referendum?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

Here's what you need to know about Australia's Voice to Parliament campaign:WHO ARE AUSTRALIA'S INDIGENOUS PEOPLE? Australia's Indigenous population plummeted after British colonisation began in 1788 as they were dispossessed of their land, exposed to new diseases, forced to work in slave-like conditions, and killed by colonisers. The country also created Maori seats in parliament, allowing the Indigenous population to choose to vote for candidates for these seats or participate in the general election. HOW DID THE VOICE REFERENDUM COME ABOUT? In 2022, Labor's Anthony Albanese became prime minister and said Australians would have their say in a referendum to include an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.

Persons: Praveen Menon SYDNEY, colonisers, Labor's Anthony Albanese, Lidia Thorpe, Praveen Menon, Alasdair Pal, Stephen Coates Organizations: WHO, Torres Strait, Nations, Te reo, Torres Strait Islander, Albanese's Labor Party, Greens, Independent, Green, Liberal Party, Party, Liberals, Nationals Locations: Australia, Canada, Waitangi, Uluru, New Zealand, Sydney

☆ New Zealand Labour party support rises, NZ First remains kingmaker, polls show
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Christopher Luxon, leader of the New Zealand National Party, holds a media conference after casting his vote in the general election in Auckland, New Zealand, October 2, 2023. In the Oct. 14 vote, the centre-right National Party, led by Christopher Luxon, is expected to emerge as the largest party with 34% of the vote, while Chris Hipkins' Labour Party is sitting on 30% of the vote, the Guardian Essential poll showed. A Newshub-Reid Research poll also released on Wednesday similarly found the populist party set to play kingmaker come election day. The poll also recorded a slight jump in support for Labour and a dip for the Nationals, who polled at 27.5% and 34.5%, respectively. Earlier polls gave the centre-right bloc of National and the ACT Party a larger proportion of the vote, although most recent polls put NZ First in position of kingmaker.

Persons: Christopher Luxon, David Rowland, Chris Hipkins, Te Pati, Reid, kingmaker, Luxon, Chris Bishop, Lucy Craymer, Sharon Singleton, Stephen Coates, Gerry Doyle Organizations: New Zealand National Party, REUTERS, Rights, New Zealand First Party, Labour Party, National Party, Guardian, National, ACT, Labour, Greens, Te, New Zealand, Reid Research, Nationals, New, ACT Party, NZ, Thomson Locations: Auckland , New Zealand, New Zealand

That's why his remarkable, record-setting year on the PGA Tour Champions has Stricker thinking about playing more on the PGA Tour next year. “I don't know if it will work,” Stricker said at the Constellation Furyk & Friends. He already has set the PGA Tour Champions earnings record — currently $3,986,063 — and he is a lock to become the first senior player to surpass $4 million in a year. The courses on the PGA Tour Champions aren't as long and the competition isn't nearly as strong. “It's just a great time to be part of the PGA Tour,” he said.

Persons: Steve Stricker, “, ” Stricker, —, Stricker, Marco Simone, Charles Schwab, ”, “ I've, I've, I'm, Brooks Koepka, ” Stricker hasn't, Mike Weir, Weir couldn't, “ Jordan Spieth, ” Weir, Strick, “ It's, ___ Organizations: PGA, Constellation, Timuquana, Ryder, U.S . Senior, Phoenix, Ryder Cup, Sony Locations: JACKSONVILLE, Fla, Rome, Scottsdale, Europe, Oahu, Timuquana

Another conceded that Kennedy could be a real threat to Trump, particularly when it comes to vaccines. They’re less likely to answer the phone for pollsters.”Trump had initially praised Kennedy after he launched his Democratic primary bid. The Biden campaign declined to comment. Third Way, which has been leading the charge against No Labels for Democrats, has had only informal and indirect contact with the Biden campaign and the president’s top advisers. The DNC’s involvement so far has been participating in a couple of video calls Third Way has hosted with groups of state Democratic Party officials, according to Matt Bennett of Third Way.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Trump, Kennedy, Cornel West, Trump Republicans eyeing, “, ” “, ” Trump, Steven Cheung, “ …, Megyn Kelly, ”, They’re, Kennedy’s, we’re, ” Matt Wilhelm, “ I’m, West’s, George W, Ralph Nader, ” Nader, Nader, “ I’ll, Peter Daou, Daou, Vermont Sen, Bernie Sanders, Sanders, Matt Bennett, “ I’ve, I’ve, Virginia Sen, Joe Manchin, Nancy Jacobson Organizations: CNN, GOP, Democratic, Trump Republicans, Voters, Republican National, RFK, White, Trump, Fox News, “ Granite, New Hampshire House, RNC, Democratic National Committee, Biden, West, Green Party, Green, Washington Post, Democratic Party, Greens, Vermont, West’s Green Party, ” Locations: Ukraine, New Hampshire, West, Virginia

☆ Fenway Farms: On the roof of an iconic sports venue, this urban farm in Boston can grow 6,000 pounds of produce a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Samantha Bresnahan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Boston, Massachusetts CNN —Though home to the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park is known for being green. Spanning a section of what was once an empty black rubber roof, a farm is making Fenway green in a completely different way. “We can produce anywhere from 4,000 to 6,000 pounds of fresh produce a year, depending on what we’re growing,” Grallert says. A little replica of Fenway Farms also opened at the Boston Children’s Museum last year. Green City estimates roughly 500,000 children and adults encounter Fenway Farms every year.

Persons: Boston , Massachusetts CNN —, Benjamin Moore, ”, Chris Grallert, ” Grallert, Bob Crowley, Grallert, Chef Ron Abell, Abell, he’s, lettuces, Danielle Morgan, Samantha Bresnahan, ” Abell, they’ve, Abell’s, Nature’s, we’ve, ” Read, Haley Bergeron, John Cumberland, “ Organizations: CNN, Boston , Massachusetts CNN, Boston Red Sox, Fenway, Green City Growers, Red Sox, Fenway Park, Green City, Major League, Sox, Coors, Oracle, Boston, Boston Children’s Locations: Boston , Massachusetts, Green, Fenway, Boston, reinvigorating, Massachusetts, Colorado, San Diego, San Francisco

☆ Next EU chief will need cash more than trade wars
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Rebecca Christie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

What she sidestepped was how to find more cash and convince member states to pay up. Von der Leyen, or her successor, will have to figure out how to pay for enlargement. Von der Leyen tapped into trade frustrations with her pledge to investigate and possibly punish Chinese subsidies for car and battery makers. During her first term, von der Leyen succeeded in connecting the EU with bond investors via the 800 billion euro NextGenerationEU borrowing programme. A second term will require even more finesse to convince EU member states to raise money not just from markets, but from themselves.

Persons: Ursula von der, European Union won’t, der, von der Leyen’s, Greens –, der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, Thierry Breton, Norway’s Jens Stoltenberg, Von der, Carlo Bastasin, Von der Leyen, von der Leyen, sceptics, Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel’s, Jens Stoltenberg’s, Francesco Guerrera, Streisand Neto, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, European Union, Bank, EU, European Commission, Socialists, Greens, NATO, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Brookings, handouts, Organisation for Economic Co, Transport, Environment, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, Moldova, Western, Brussels, Germany, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Turkey, Georgia, Spain, Poland, United States, China, Ireland, Netherlands, EU, EU’s, Hungary

☆ German voters send ominous message to Brussels
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 9 (Reuters Breakingviews) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s resounding defeat in key local elections on Sunday will be as traumatic in Brussels as in Berlin. Voters dealt a sharp blow to all three parties in Scholz’s centre-left executive. The victory of conservative opposition party CDU came together with a strong showing of far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), who won 15% of the votes in the populous state of Bavaria and 18% in Hesse. In Berlin, divisions on the pace and cost of the green transition between the Green Party and the liberal FDP, whose leader Christian Lindner is the coalition’s finance minister, have already led to a watering down of a planned boiler ban from 2024. In Brussels, a German government preoccupied with its domestic travails may be unable to rally other member states around the sort of compromise proposals the EU needs to clinch some key deals.

Persons: Olaf Scholz’s, Christian Lindner, Scholz, Pierre Briancon, Sandoz, Lisa Jucca, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Voters, Social Democrats, Greens, European Union, Green Party, X, Alstom, Brookfield, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Berlin, Scholz’s, Bavaria, Hesse, Germany, France, EU

☆ Germany, France Hold Unprecedented Cabinet Retreat to Oil Creaky EU Motor
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

"Macron and Scholz are simply very different personalities," Anton Hofreiter, chair of the German parliament's Committee on European Union Affairs and member of the Greens. "Ultimately the point of bilateral relations is to overcome differences- that is the core of the EU," a French cabinet member said, on condition of anonymity. The informal team-building exercise is in keeping with the German tradition of holding cabinet "Klausur" or retreats. The stakes are high, said Detlef Seif, a leading German Christian Democratic Union lawmaker on EU affairs. (Reporting by Sarah Marsh and Andreas Rinke in Berlin; Additional Reporting by Michel Rose in Paris; Editing by Ros Russell)

Persons: Sarah Marsh, Andreas Rinke BERLIN, Jacob Ross, Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Olaf Scholz, Macron, Scholz, Anton Hofreiter, Detlef Seif, Andreas Rinke, Michel Rose, Ros Russell Organizations: German, Foreign Relations, European Union Affairs, Greens, German Christian Democratic Union, EU, Reuters Locations: France, Hamburg, Europe, Ukraine, China, Brussels, Russian, Berlin, United States, Germany, German, Paris

Germany and Austria earlier on Monday said they were suspending bilateral development aid to Palestinians, while others such as Italy had said suspending aid was not up for discussion. It is unclear whether the suspensions in development aid will also apply to such assistance. Varhelyi said all new budget proposals for Palestinian aid were also postponed until further notice. The Israeli flag has been hoisted above the chancellor's office and the Foreign Ministry after the shock Hamas assault. Asked if Italy would follow Germany and Austria in suspending development aid, the foreign ministry spokesperson said this was not under discussion.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Oliver Varhelyi, Varhelyi, Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah, Alexander Schallenberg, Svenja Schulze, Rishi Sunak, Andrew Gray, Francois Murphy, Sarah Marsh, Markus Wacket, Angela Amante, Kate Holton, Mark Heinrich, Alison Williams, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, BRUSSELS, European, United Nations, Union, EU, EU Commission, West Bank, Palestinian Authority, Austrian, European Union, Foreign Ministry, Social Democrats, Greens, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Ashkelon, Israel, Germany, Austria, Italy, BERLIN, Europe, West, Berlin, Palestinian, Berlin's, Brandenburg, United Nations, Britain, Brussels, Vienna, Rome, London

☆ Germany's conservatives set to win state elections with far-right making gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Hannah Ward-Glenton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Photo: Arne Dedert/dpa (Photo by Arne Dedert/picture alliance via Getty Images)Germany's conservative opposition was slated to win two state elections while the far-right gained ground on Sunday, exit polls showed, halfway into the government of social democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The two states were led by the main opposition Union alliance that reunites the Christian Social Union party and the Christian Democratic Union. In Hesse, theBoris Rhein's CDU had led as part of a coalition with the Greens — and was set to win 35.5% of votes, exit polls showed. Here, too, AfD strengthened its presence, from 13.1% of votes previously to 16% on Sunday. The ruling Social Democratic Party is expected to gain 16% in Hesse and 8.5% in Bavaria.

Persons: Arne Dedert, Olaf Scholz, —, theBoris Rhein's, Friedrich Merz, Hesse, Robert Lambrou Organizations: Getty, Union, Christian Social Union, Christian Democratic Union, ARD, CSU —, Free, Greens, Google, Social Democratic Party, CNBC Locations: Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany, Bavaria, Munich

The FDP looked on track to fail to reach the 5% threshold to enter parliament in Bavaria, and possibly Hesse too. They and the AfD were the only parties to make gains in the Bavaria election. Still, coalition parties were likely to continue to follow increasingly separate paths to focus on issues relevant to their core electorate in response to the bad results, he said, while all taking a tougher stance on migration. "We must in the future better communicate SPD projects and be more visible," SPD lawmaker Sebastian Roloff told German outlet Handelsblatt. Reporting by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Nick Macfie, Ros Russell and Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Scholz, Thomas Kemmerich, Jens Spahn, Spahn, Nancy Faeser, Markus Soeder, Philipp Koeker, Sebastian Roloff, Sarah Marsh, Nick Macfie, Ros Russell, Mark Porter Organizations: Social Democrats, Greens, Free Democrats, Christian Democrats, CDU, ARD, Christian Social Union, CSU, DRUBBING, Free Voters, University of Hanover, Thomson Locations: Hesse, Bavaria, BERLIN, Germany, Ukraine, Frankfurt

CNN —The German states of Bavaria and Hesse vote in regional elections on Sunday, in what is widely being seen as a test-case for Germany’s shifting political landscape. In Hesse – home to Frankfurt, Germany’s financial hub – dissatisfaction with Germany’s federal government threatens to deliver a blow to Scholz’s coalition. German flags are carried at an AfD election campaign event. Bavarian Premier Söder chose not to dismiss Aiwanger following the allegations, amid calls from across Germany’s political spectrum for the economy minister’s resignation. Hesse, which was formerly a stronghold for the SPD, is currently governed by the CDU in coalition with the Greens.

Persons: Hesse –, Martin Schutt, shockwaves, of Bavaria, Markus Söder, Angela Merkel, Kirill Kudryavtsev, Charlotte Knoblauch, Katrin, Ebner Steiner, AfD’s, ” Steiner, ”, Hubert Aiwanger, Aiwanger, ” Hubert Aiwanger, Sven Hoppe, Söder, Thomas Kreuzer, Chancellor Scholz’s, Nancy Faeser, Kreuzer, “, ” Kreuzer, Faese, Faeser, Der Organizations: CNN, Social Democratic Party, SPD, Free Democratic Party, Greens, Scholz’s SPD, Bavaria, Christian Social Union, CSU, Christian Democratic Union, CDU, Free Voters, Getty, INSA, New, Central Council of, Germany’s Süddeutesche Zeitung, Zeitung, FW, Bavarian, Greens . Center, ”, Der Spiegel, Interior Ministry Locations: Bavaria, Hesse, Germany, –, Frankfurt, Germany’s, AFP, Saxony, Bavarian, Munich, “, Germany’s Süddeutesche

☆ Germany mulls possible aid suspension to Palestinians after Hamas attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Israel supporters protest, following Hamas' biggest attack on Israel in years, next to the Brandenburg Gate, in Berlin, Germany, October 8, 2023. "We will now review our entire engagement for the Palestinian territories." But pushback came from the opposition Left party and the Greens, junior partner in the federal coalition. Hamas, and not all Palestinians, were responsible for the attack, said Gregor Gysi, a prominent member of the Left party. "These funds above all gave suffering people in the Palestinian territories access to food provisions and health care."

Persons: Israel, Liesa, Svenja Schulze, Armin Laschet, Mahmoud Abbas, pushback, Gregor Gysi, Luise Amtsberg, Markus Wacket, Sarah Marsh, Ros Russell, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Palestinian, Hamas, . Development, Social Democrats, West Bank, Left, Greens, Palestinian Authority, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Israel, Brandenburg, Berlin, Germany, Palestinian, Europe

☆ Hesse, Bavaria Votes Highlight Discontent With Scholz's Government Exit Polls
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's opposition conservatives were on track to win state elections in Hesse and Bavaria on Sunday, according to exit polls by state broadcaster ARD, highlighting discontent with the Chancellor Olaf Scholz's centre-left federal government. In Hesse, the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) looked set to take 35.5% of the vote compared to 16% for Scholz's Social Democrats, dealing a personal blow to Interior Minister Nancy Faeser who ran as the SPD's lead candidate in the state. In Bavaria, CDU's sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) looked set to take 37% of the vote - its worst result since 1950 albeit likely enough to continue its coalition with the populist Free Voters on 14%. The SPD, which is traditionally weak in Bavaria, trailed with 8.5% of the vote. Meanwhile the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) made gains, rising to 16% in Hesse and 15% in Bavaria compared to 13.1% and 11.6% respectively in 2018.

Persons: Olaf Scholz's, Nancy Faeser, CDU's, Sarah Marsh, Thomas Escritt Organizations: BERLIN, ARD, Christian Democrats, CDU, Scholz's Social Democrats, Christian Social Union, CSU, Free Voters, SPD, Greens, Free Democrats Locations: Hesse, Bavaria, Germany

☆ Voters in Hesse, Bavaria Seen Dealing Mid-Term Blow to Scholz's Coalition
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Sarah MarshBERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's opposition conservatives are expected to win another term in the Hesse and Bavaria state elections on Sunday, seen dealing a blow to Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left coalition and attesting to the rise of the far-right. So too has frustration with infighting in Scholz's heterogeneous three-way coalition of Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) mid-way through its term. "The coalition is suffering the mid-term blues and must reckon with losses," said Stefan Marschall, political scientist at the University of Duesseldorf. "The FDP in particular must reckon with falling out of both state parliaments which could bring greater tensions into the coalition. More striking is the fact the populist Free Voters (FW) party, which governs Bavaria in coalition with the CSU, has seen a bump in poll support of several percentage points to 15% since being swept up in an anti-semitic scandal.

Persons: Sarah Marsh BERLIN, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Stefan Marschall, Nancy Faeser, Sarah Marsh, Nick Macfie Organizations: Social Democrats, Greens, Free Democrats, University of Duesseldorf, Christian Social Union, CSU, Christian Democrats, CDU, Free Voters, FW, SPD, ARD Locations: Hesse, Bavaria, Germany, Bavarian

BERLIN, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Germany's opposition conservatives are expected to win another term in the Hesse and Bavaria state elections on Sunday, seen dealing a blow to Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left coalition and attesting to the rise of the far-right. So too has frustration with infighting in Scholz's heterogeneous three-way coalition of Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) mid-way through its term. "The coalition is suffering the mid-term blues and must reckon with losses," said Stefan Marschall, political scientist at the University of Duesseldorf. "The FDP in particular must reckon with falling out of both state parliaments which could bring greater tensions into the coalition. More striking is the fact the populist Free Voters (FW) party, which governs Bavaria in coalition with the CSU, has seen a bump in poll support of several percentage points to 15% since being swept up in an anti-semitic scandal.

Persons: Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Stefan Marschall, Nancy Faeser, Sarah Marsh, Nick Macfie 私 Organizations: Social Democrats, Greens, Free Democrats, University of Duesseldorf, Christian Social Union, CSU, Christian Democrats, CDU, Free Voters, FW, SPD, ARD Locations: Hesse, Bavaria, Germany, Bavarian

Both states are led by the country's main opposition Union bloc, made up of the Christian Democratic Union and the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union. In Hesse, they give the CDU a double-digit lead in a three-way contest for the governor's office among the conservative party, Scholz's center-left Social Democrats and the environmentalist Greens. Scholz’s government also faces intense pressure to reduce the number of migrants arriving, a major issue in the run-up to the elections. Green challenger Tarek Al-Wazir, currently the deputy governor to conservative incumbent Boris Rhein, also faces an uphill struggle. Soeder is widely considered a potential candidate to challenge Scholz in 2025, although he has denied such ambitions.

Persons: Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Scholz, won’t, —, Karl, Rudolf Korte, Nancy Faeser, Tarek Al, Wazir, Boris Rhein, Markus Soeder, Soeder, Hubert Aiwanger, Aiwanger — Organizations: BERLIN, Sunday, Union, Christian Democratic Union, Christian Social Union, CSU, CDU, Social Democrats, environmentalist Greens, Germany, Greens, Free, Welt, Sonntag, ” Voters, Free Democrats, Free Voters Locations: Bavaria, Hesse, Frankfurt, Scholz's

☆ Two German state elections expected to bring wins for conservative national opposition
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Both states are led by the country's main opposition Union bloc, made up of the Christian Democratic Union and the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union. In Hesse, they give the CDU a double-digit lead in a three-way contest for the governor's office among the conservative party, Scholz's center-left Social Democrats and the environmentalist Greens. Scholz's government also faces intense pressure to reduce the number of migrants arriving, a major issue in the run-up to the elections. Green challenger Tarek Al-Wazir, currently the deputy governor to conservative incumbent Boris Rhein, also faces an uphill struggle. In Bavaria, governor Markus Soeder is calling for voters to back "continuity and stability."

Persons: Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Scholz, —, Karl, Rudolf Korte, Nancy Faeser, Tarek Al, Wazir, Boris Rhein, Markus Soeder, Soeder, Hubert Aiwanger, Aiwanger — Organizations: Sunday, Union, Christian Democratic Union, Christian Social Union, CSU, CDU, Social Democrats, environmentalist Greens, Germany, Greens, Free, Welt, Sonntag, Voters, Free Democrats, Free Voters Locations: Bavaria, Hesse, Frankfurt, Scholz's

☆ Hesse, Bavaria votes highlight discontent with Scholz's government, exit polls show
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Hesse State Premier Boris Rhein of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party gestures after the first exit polls for the Hesse state elections were published, in Wiesbaden, Germany, October 8, 2023. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Germany's opposition conservatives were on track to win state elections in Hesse and Bavaria on Sunday, according to exit polls by state broadcaster ARD, highlighting discontent with the Chancellor Olaf Scholz's centre-left federal government. In Hesse, the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) looked set to take 35.5% of the vote compared to 16% for Scholz's Social Democrats, dealing a personal blow to Interior Minister Nancy Faeser who ran as the SPD's lead candidate in the state. The SPD, which is traditionally weak in Bavaria, trailed with 8.5% of the vote. Meanwhile the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) made gains, rising to 16% in Hesse and 15% in Bavaria compared to 13.1% and 11.6% respectively in 2018.

Persons: Hesse State Premier Boris Rhein, Kai Pfaffenbach, Olaf Scholz's, Nancy Faeser, CDU's, Sarah Marsh, Thomas Escritt Organizations: Hesse State Premier, Christian Democratic Union, CDU, REUTERS, Rights, ARD, Christian Democrats, Scholz's Social Democrats, Christian Social Union, CSU, Free Voters, SPD, Greens, Free Democrats, Thomson Locations: Hesse, Wiesbaden, Germany, Bavaria

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