About: Bundestag

Bundestag wants to impose climate tax on MPs’ official trips

The Bundestag's Council of Elders decided that there should be a climate tax for the official trips of MPs, starting in 2020. For the first time, the Council has started to debate the building blocks of Germany's recently proposed climate package. EURACTIV's media partner Der Tagesspiegel reports.

What else does Merkel want?

Following German Chancellor Angela Merkel's appearance in the Bundestag debate on Wednesday (11 September), it seems clear that she will not change. And this is not such a bad thing. EURACTIV's partner der Tagesspiegel comments.

North Macedonia president: We need date for EU talks before autumn

Decoupling North Macedonia and Albania’s EU path, by giving the green light to the former and holding the start of accession talks for the latter is not great, but is the only way forward, North Macedonia’s President Stevo Pendarovski told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview during his visit to Brussels on Thursday (13 June).

German immigration law will be adopted, despite disagreements

Leading German parties have struggled to find a common line on immigration. For the Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP), the draft bill on immigration does not go far enough. EURACTIV's media partner Der Tagesspiegel reports.

Discrete launch of cooperation between French and German parliament members

This Franco-German project, criticised by the French extreme right, was launched in Paris on Monday (25 March). The new chamber aims to facilitate exchange, not political decision-making. EURACTIV France reports.

‘Mass hack attack’ against politicians raises eyebrows in Berlin

Hackers posted personal data, including credit card details and mobile phone numbers, of hundreds of German politicians, national media reported on Friday (4 January).

Offering Macron a stage is not enough

French President Emmanuel Macron gave a speech in the German Bundestag – but this will not bring him any closer to his idea of Europe. A commentary piece by Albrecht Meier, correspondent in the Berlin office of EURACTIV Germany’s media partner Der Tagesspiegel.

Going Dutch: Why Germany needs others besides France

The Franco-German engine gets all the media attention, but it is Dutch-German cooperation that has done the important work in recent years. France and Germany can do a lot together, but Germany and France should remember that Berlin has - and needs - other options, writes Christel Arlette Zunneberg.

Germany’s far-right enters parliament amid fears and protests

Almost a hundred far-right MPs make their debut in the German Bundestag on Tuesday (24 October), where they plan to give Chancellor Angela Merkel a hard time in a display of nationalism unseen since 1945. EURACTIV’s partner Ouest-France reports.

Schäuble receives €100 notes with his face at farewell party

Eurozone finance ministers deluged German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble with farewell gifts yesterday (9 October) as the man who inspired Europe's austerity answer to the debt crisis attended his last meeting with them.

Bundestag MPs want EU staff to use German more after Brexit

Three members of Germany's Bundestag have asked Chancellor Angela Merkel to make sure EU institutions use the German language more.

Ex-EU Parliament President Schulz to take on Merkel in German elections

Former European Parliament President Martin Schulz is the German Social Democrats' candidate to run for chancellor against Angela Merkel.

Erdogan says will never accept genocide ‘blackmail’

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned on 4 June Turkey would never accept charges the Ottoman Empire committed genocide against Armenians in World War I, saying the accusations were being used as "blackmail" against Ankara.

Germany braces for Turkish backlash to Armenian genocide vote

The German parliament will approve a symbolic resolution today (2 June) that declares the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces a "genocide", a move that risks aggravating tensions with Turkey at a sensitive time for Berlin and its European partners.

German MP handed travel ban by Ukraine

A delegation from the Bundestag's European Affairs Committee will travel to Ukraine without one of its members, after Kyiv banned him from travelling. EURACTIV's partner Tagesspiegel reports.

Berlin slacks in exercising right to control Brussels

National parliaments are capable of influencing and even scrapping Brussels' projects. But a recent study has concluded that Berlin rarely exercises this right. EURACTIV's partner Tagesspiegel reports.

EU releases funds for Greece

Europe moved to reinstate funding for Greece's stricken economy yesterday (16 July) after the parliament in Athens approved a new bailout programme in a fractious vote that left the government without a majority.

Merkel faces treacherous Greece vote in Bundestag

Following the decision in Brussels on Monday (13 July) to negotiate a third Greek bailout, the Bundestag will vote on Friday (17 July) on a mandate for the German government. Approval is not assured. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Opposition to Greek bailout growing in Merkel camp

A third bailout Greek package will be decided on before an emergency summit on Sunday (12 July). Opposition to such a measure is growing within Germany’s centre-right. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Bundestag approval doesn’t pave the way for a European Army

The report by Germany's Rühe Commission on international deployments is only a first step towards further defense cooperation in Europe, write Christian Mölling and Alicia von Voss.

Carsten Schneider: German government divided on Greece

Germany’s centre-right alliance is finding it difficult to agree on whether or not to send further aid to Greece, said SPD faction chair Carsten Schneider, who sees a significant gap between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Merkel defends decision to arm Iraqi Kurds with German weapons

Speaking to the Bundestag on Monday (1 September), German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended the government's controversial decision to supply Kurds in northern Iraq with arms to aid their fight against the extremist Islamic State (IS). EURACTIV Germany reports.

Germany debates role of Bundestag in approving arms shipments to Iraq

The German government has announced its intention to send weapons to northern Iraq to support the offensive against radical Islamist forces, but the move has sparked debate over the Bundestag's participation in such decisions. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Merkel: Calling off EU-US trade talks ‘not very helpful’

Speaking to the German Bundestag on Wednesday (29 January), Chancellor Angela Merkel denounced the NSA spying scandal but she was quick to warn against hasty reactions like abandoning the planned EU-US trade and investment partnership. The opposition accused her being submissive, EURACTIV Germany reports.