About: SPD
Germany to allow shipment of heavy weaponry to Ukraine
The German 'traffic light' coalition will intensify its efforts to support Ukraine with weapons and is green-lighting the delivery of heavy weaponry by industry, marking a distinct change in approach.
Germany’s new government bets on inaugural trips to help bolster EU’s key role
Social Democrat Olaf Scholz, sworn in as Germany's new chancellor on Wednesday (8 December), will already be embarking on a series of inaugural visits across Europe, accompanied by his foreign minister, Green co-leader Annalena Baerbock
Germany’s new health minister, a vocal and divisive pandemic expert
Germany’s designated health minister has become (in)famous as a vocal advocate of decisive COVID-19 restrictive measures. A trained epidemiologist, Karl Lauterbach is also a long-time health politician and advocate of an equal health system.
Germany’s new government will firmly defend encryption, key Social Democrat says
The next German government intends to speak more strongly in favour of end-to-end encryption and against the introduction of backdoors, Jens Zimmermann, the digital policy expert for the Social Democrats (SPD) who co-negotiated the coalition agreement's chapter on digitalisation, told EURACTIV in an interview.
France welcomes Germany’s new ‘pro-European’ coalition agreement
The coalition deal struck between three parties that will form Germany's next government is very much in line with France's own ambitions and priorities, including its vision of a more federal EU. EURACTIV France reports.
Legal opinion on data retention enters Germany’s coalition talks
The EU Advocate General's rejection of groundless data retention increases pressure on Germany's Social Democrats (SPD), who are currently navigating the issue as a part of ongoing coalition negotiations. The new ruling could lead them to relent on their stance. EURACTIV Germany reports.
German coalition talks stumble over role of gas in EU taxonomy
The scramble over the role of gas and nuclear in the EU's sustainable finance rules has become a source of tension in the German government talks as the country's first ever three-party coalition is being negotiated in Berlin.
German parties confident to agree coalition treaty, new government by end November
The three parties negotiating Germany’s next government coalition plan to table a coalition treaty and propose new government ministers next week, Clean Energy Wire reported.
What Germany’s likely coalition has in store for digitalisation
Germany's Social Democrats (SPD), the business-friendly FDP and the Greens, who are soon to hold coalition talks, have pointed to digitalisation as one of the top priorities in a preliminary coalition agreement. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Germany’s likely new coalition wants more EU sovereignty, fossil car ban
Leaders of Germany's Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens, and the business-friendly FDP have reached a preliminary agreement including plans to end the internal combustion engine and take an assertive stance on the rule of law in the EU.
German SPD’s Scholz moves closer to succeeding Merkel as chancellor
German centre-left Social Democrat's (SPD) Olaf Scholz, took a major step towards succeeding Angela Merkel as chancellor on Friday (15 October), announcing that he and the leaders of two smaller parties aimed to move into formal coalition talks.
Intellectuals urge Germany to keep nuclear plants online
“Dear Germany, please keep your nuclear reactors online,” 25 leading foreign and domestic writers, journalists, and intellectuals wrote in a joint letter, warning that dropping nuclear power would only increase Germany's carbon emissions.
Germany’s SPD pushes for inclusion of gas in EU green finance taxonomy
The role of gas in the energy transition should be reflected in the EU’s green finance taxonomy, according to the economy and energy spokesperson of Germany's social democratic SPD party, which is expected to lead the next German government coalition.
Bullmann: SPD electorate rejects coalition with conservatives
The electorate of Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) rejects potential collaboration with Christian Democrats (CDU-CSU) and prefers a progressive government looking at the future rather than a return to the austerity-driven past, EU lawmaker and senior SPD official Udo Bullmann told EURACTIV in an interview in Berln.
Greens and Liberals hold key to form next German government
Following Sunday's federal election, the most likely outcome for the new German Bundestag is one of two coalitions: a Social Democrat-led 'traffic light'-coalition or a Conservative-led 'Jamaica'-coalition. Both camps will now try to win over kingmakers, the Greens and Liberals, to secure a stable majority.
Parties start election poker in Germany as SPD clinches narrow win
Germany's Social Democrats clinched a narrow victory over Chancellor Angela Merkel's Conservatives in Sunday's federal election, but leaders of both parties quickly claimed their right to try to build a coalition government.
Scholz seen as winner from Germany’s second TV election debate
Conservative candidate Armin Laschet, from the ruling CDU/CSU coalition, sought to make up for lost ground in opinion polls by attacking his socialist rival Olaf Scholz during Germany’s second televised election debate.
Coal exit debate haunts German parties ahead of election
With the German elections less than a month away, the country’s agreed 2038 coal exit looks increasingly untenable. Yet, with voters increasingly concerned about the climate, leaders' past policy choices are coming back to haunt them.
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...
SPD enters election campaign focusing on the future, climate issues
Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) want to be seen as the party of the future. That is the core message of the resolution following last weekend's party retreat. But the SPD's proverbial red thread - on social issues - is missing. EURACTIV Germany reports.
OECD criticises German frugality, urges it to ‘clear the investment backlog’
Germany needs to invest more in infrastructure, digital policy, climate protection after years of government frugality, a study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recommends. EURACTIV Germany reports.
5G expansion: German foreign ministry gets a say, but no veto
Germany's upcoming IT security law is intended to protect the country's 5G network, among other things. When it comes to Huawei, the Foreign Office fought for a right of veto. The result: now it can have a say but not singlehandedly block a supplier. EURACTIV Germany reports.
German SPD demands asylum centres, carbon border tax in new position paper
The parliamentary group of the German Social Democrats (SPD) is expected to adopt a position paper on EU policy on Tuesday (27 October). In it, the MPs call for open asylum centres throughout Europe, a CO2 border tax to raise the EU's own resources, and more leeway for state resources in digitalisation. EURACTIV Germany reports.