About: Germany
Hungarian official denounces German ‘Nazi-style’ sacking of football coach
A top aide to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called into question Germany's democratic standards on Thursday (8 April) after a German football club sacked a Hungarian coach for expressing anti-immigrant and anti-LGBT views.
Germany’s Bavaria plans to buy Sputnik vaccine
Germany's Bavaria region has reached an agreement to buy doses of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine once it is approved by European regulators, the regional health ministry said Wednesday (7 April).
German Greens mull top candidate for landmark post-Merkel election
The German Greens will decide later this month which of their two co-leaders to put forward as their candidate to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel in September’s landmark election, the party said on Wednesday (7 April).
Germany to propose Beirut port reconstruction with ‘strings attached’
Germany will next week present a multi-billion-dollar proposal to Lebanese authorities to rebuild the Port of Beirut as part of efforts to entice the country’s politicians to form a government capable of warding off financial collapse, two sources said.
‘It’s hard, we’re neighbours’: the coalmine polluting friendships on Poland’s borders
Czechs and Germans who live in the shadow of the vast Turów mine claim it is an environmental menace. Some in Poland want to weaponise its defence. EURACTIV’s media partner, The Guardian, reports.
German school system still holds back children of migrants, experts say
In Germany, how well a child does in school is closely linked to their parental background, with immigrants and their children worst affected by structural inequalities. Opposition politicians are calling for reforms, but experts fear there is a lack of political will for the necessary overhaul.
Merkel banks on Easter lockdown to break the third Covid wave
Germany is extending its lockdown until 18 April and calling on citizens to stay at home for five days over the Easter holidays to try to break a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chancellor Angela Merkel said.
Germany eyes new animal welfare levy to help raise standards in livestock farming
Germany is considering ways to fund an increased ambition in animal welfare standards, including a new levy on animal welfare, which has raised eyebrows among German farmers who are concerned they will be exposed to unfair competition. EURACTIV Germany reports.
US pressure brings about rise in NATO defence spending, despite pandemic
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has massively reduced revenues of national governments in 2020, NATO allies significantly increased their military spending and eleven out of 30 alliance members reached the target of earmarking at least 2% of GDP for defence, according to NATO's annual report released on Tuesday (16 March).
Major EU nations halt AstraZeneca while WHO insists the jab is safe
The EU's largest countries joined a stream of states halting their rollouts of AstraZeneca jabs on Monday (15 March) over blood clot fears, as the World Health Organization and Europe's medicines watchdog insisted it was safe to use.
Merkel’s CDU suffers record defeats in regional elections
Germany’s Christian Democrats (CDU) suffered record defeats in two regional elections on Sunday (14 March) amid voter anger over a sluggish coronavirus vaccine roll-out and a party corruption scandal that has left Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party reeling as it decides...
Kremlin urges France and Germany to stop Ukraine conflict crossing ‘dangerous line’
The Kremlin on Thursday (4 March) urged France and Germany to use their influence with the Ukrainian government to make sure that events in the part of eastern Ukraine controlled by Russian-backed rebels did not “cross a dangerous line”.
US hails German plan to send warship in China Sea
The United States on Wednesday (3 March) hailed plans by NATO ally Germany to sail a warship across the contested South China Sea, calling it welcome support for a "rules-based international order" in the region.
How to solve the Nord Stream 2 dilemma
If Gazprom could be persuaded to increase gas transit revenues for Ukraine, that would give the Biden administration a reason not to impose sanctions to block Nord Stream 2’s completion and ammunition to fend off criticism from those who want...
Brussels opens in-depth investigation into Germany’s coal phase-out plan
The European Commission has expressed doubts about a planned €4.35 billion compensation scheme for German energy companies, agreed as part of the country’s plan to phase out coal by 2038, saying the sums involved are “likely to constitute state aid” under EU law.
Germany to tighten COVID controls at French border
Germany on Sunday (28 February) declared France's Covid-battered Moselle region a high-risk area for virus variants, prompting tougher entry rules for visitors at the border.
Tighter virus controls at France-Germany border
France and Germany agreed Thursday (25 February) to require coronavirus tests for workers commuting across their shared border, aiming to avoid a full closure of the frontier while controlling the outbreak's spread.
Deutsche Welle resumes Hungarian service amid free press fears
Germany's international broadcaster Deutsche Welle has begun producing material in Hungarian for the first time in decades, driven by concerns at declining media plurality and press freedom in the fellow European Union member.
US pressure drives 18 European companies away from Nord Stream 2
The US government is confident its sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline connecting Russia and Germany will have an impact. In a document obtained by EURACTIV Germany, the State Department lists 18 European companies that have already ended their cooperation with the project. EURACTIV Germany reports.
US to push troop synchronisation between Europe and Africa commands
Moving troops between Africa and Europe more efficiently during a crisis is expected to be streamlined and allow better synchronisation between European NATO allies and Africa, US generals said on Tuesday (23 February).
EU says it does not need Nord Stream 2, but only Germany can block it
The European Union does not need the Nord Stream 2 pipeline for its energy security but any decision to stop the project carrying Russian natural gas to Germany would have to come from Berlin, a senior European Commission official said on Tuesday (23 February).
Six EU countries warned over border restrictions
The European Commission said Tuesday (23 February) it has formally warned six EU countries that their virus-related border curbs could undermine free movement within the bloc.
Germany partially closes borders despite criticism from EU, hauliers
Germany partially closed its borders with the Czech Republic and Austria's Tyrol on Sunday (14 February) over a troubling surge in coronavirus mutations, earning a swift rebuke from the European Union and criticism from the International Road Transport Union (IRU).