Tag: Germany

Germany's Bundestag has approved Croatia's entry to the European Union, clearing the last formal hurdle for the former Yugoslav republic to join the Union on 1 July.

The surviving member of a German neo-Nazi cell went on trial on Monday (6 May) for a series of racist killings that scandalised Germany and exposed the security services' inability or reluctance to recognise far-right crime.

Even if Germany had to write off the loans it extended to Southern European countries as part of the eurozone’s emergency rescue measures, the economic advantages of its membership would still be overwhelming, according to a recent study by the Bertelsmann Stiftung.

German chancellor candidate Peer Steinbrück won many converts at the Social Democrat’s recent party conference, bolstering the left’s election push, but the SPD’s turn in fortunes is likely to fade in the home straight, EurActiv Germany and EurActiv France report.

Russia urged Germany to punish a group of women who staged a bare-breasted protest against President Vladimir Putin on Monday (8 April) during a visit to a trade fair in Hanover with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Economic advisors to the German government more than halved their forecast for 2013 growth on Monday (25 March), blaming a sharp fourth-quarter contraction and weak prospects for foreign trade and investment.

Holding together and strengthening the European Monetary Union is vital, but we must take care we do not sacrifice the foundations of peace and fraternity on which the European Union was founded, writes MEP Jorgo Chatzimarkakis.

The Italian crisis not only threatens to return instability to the eurozone, but it also shows that Germany’s efforts to ensure new governments align with Berlin’s strategy are becoming increasingly difficult, writes Stratfor.

France and Germany could become the avant-garde of cross-border energy cooperation and could set the standards for all of Europe, writes Georg Zachmann.

No major announcement marked the 50th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty, perhaps unsurprisingly, but the adoption of two new texts shows the French and Germans are still making steps towards further cooperation. EurActiv France reports.

Despite tensions over the management of the eurozone debt crisis, the Franco-German relation has bright days ahead of itself, according to Thomas Klau, head of the Paris Office at the European Council on Foreign Relations. The two countries celebrate today (21 January) the 50 years of the signing of the Elysée Treaty.

Three-quarters of French and 70% of Germans want their countries to harmonise tax and fiscal policy, according to an opinion poll carried out for the German Embassy in Paris. EurActiv France reports.

The majority of eastern Germans regard their western compatriots as "arrogant" and mostly interested in money, according to a new survey that highlights distinct east-west identities.

EU energy ministers are poised to seek "non-binding" guidance from the European Commission on reform of green fuel subsidies as part of a debate on new post-2020 policy goals, according to a draft document.

France’s plan to merge its railway and infrastructure operations has drawn criticism and a call for the European Commission to block the move.

Since global economic ties are so closely meshed and dependent jobs are so numerous, a market intervention in the form of trade barriers would have fatal consequences for the European solar industry, writes Thorsten Preugschas.

Generating all energy from renewable sources is no longer a pipe dream in Europe. From Denmark to Austria, we can see examples of a successful energy transition. Germany is clearly seen as the front-runner and an important driver - especially due to its nuclear phase-out. But the energy transition is not only “made in Germany” but also “made in Europe”, says Anna Leidreiter.

Peer Steinbrück, the former Germany finance minister who is to run as the Social-Democrat (SPD) challenger to Chancellor Angela Merkel next year, has demonstrated his tendency for plain speaking by calling Swiss bankers 'Indians' in a move that seems to set the tone for his electoral campaign.

Germany cleared the last legal hurdle to ratifying the euro zone's new bailout fund on Wednesday (26 September) with a cabinet declaration that addresses concerns raised by the country's Constitutional Court. The German parliament will have veto rights over any increase in Berlin's contribution, which is now capped at €190 billion.

Most countries appear to dislike Germany’s “better spending” proposal for the 2014-2020 EU budget, EurActiv has learned. The proposal, described by a diplomat as “blood, sweat and tears”, was tabled at a recent meeting of European affairs ministers in Nicosia.

It is doubtful that all 27 EU members can agree to start treaty negotiations within the next few years. But a smaller vanguard of member states could agree on treaty changes which could be adopted by the other partners later on, Thomas Fischer from the Bertelsmann Stiftung told EurActiv in an exclusive interview.

By highlighting what European integration has achieved in the Ich will Europa (I Want Europe) campaign, German Chancellor Angela Merkel attempts to persuade German citizens that further sacrifices are worthwhile, argues Stratfor.

Germany may have to slow down its planned transformation to green energy, Environment Minister Peter Altmaier said in an effort to assuage worries that consumers will bear the brunt of the immense costs of the switch from nuclear.