About: SPD
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.
German police study will focus on ‘daily work’ instead of structural racism
After public pressure and national debate, a study of German police forces is on the way. The Social Democrat's (SPD) proposal to specifically investigate racism within the German authorities will only be one of many topics, as the study will instead be focusing on the 'daily work' of officers. EURACTIV Germany reports.
German copyright bill includes upload filters, despite government’s promises
As Germany gears up to transpose the European Copyright Directive into national law by the summer of 2021, the new draft tabled by Justice Minister Christine's Lambrecht (SPD) provides for upload filters, although the government promised to do without them. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Bundestag’s investigative committee starts work on Wirecard scandal
The Bundestag's committee looking into the Wirecard case, Germany's biggest financial scandal in years, started work on Thursday (8 October). It could be particularly unpleasant for Finance Minister and SPD chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Financial scandals harm Scholz’s image as he gears up for chancellor candidacy
Olaf Scholz, Germany's finance minister and chancellor candidate for the Social Democrats (SPD), is currently in the spotlight for his involvement in two financial scandals currently shaking German politics: the Wirecard and Cum-Ex scandals. EURACTIV Germany reports.
German Social Democrats gear up for a climate election campaign
Finance Minister Olaf Scholz will lead the German Social Democrats (SPD) into the campaign for federal elections in 2021. Not an easy task for a party that faces strong competition from the Greens for number two position, behind the CDU/CSU conservatives. EURACTIV Germany reports.
German labour minister announces stricter standards in the meat industry
The German meat industry has been under fire for years over its low working standards and workers rights. The coronavirus clusters in slaughterhouses have now offered the government an opportunity to intervene. EURACTIV Germany reports.
German data protection commissioner criticises government agencies, legislative procedures
Ulrich Kelber (SPD) rarely shies away from criticising his own government in his role as Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI). During the presentation of his annual reports, he pointed out hasty procedures where data protection is at risk. EURACTIV Germany reports.
German finance minister defends borrowing for economic stimulus package
For once, Germany is not shying away from debt to overcome a crisis. With the second supplementary budget, the state's additional borrowing due to the coronavirus is raised to a total of €218.5 billion. But criticism is coming from the German Taxpayers' Federation. EURACTIV Germany reports.
US ambassador accuses Germany of ‘eroding’ NATO solidarity
In an op-ed published this morning (14 May) in the German newspaper Die Welt, US ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell had strong words for the country’s leadership regarding its NATO commitments. EURACTIV Germany reports.
In Germany’s new 5G security criteria, SPD sees a “blunt sword”
The German Interior Ministry wants to check whether manufacturers of 5G components are trustworthy. For SPD digital politician Falko Mohrs, this does not go far enough. He demands a political security check, fed with secret service information. EURACTIV Germany reports.
SPD leadership reignites German debate on US nuclear weapons
Germany should "exclude the stationing of US nuclear weapons in the future," Rolf Mützenich, the leader of the Social Democrats (SPD) in the Bundestag, has demanded. Foreign minister Heiko Maas has hit back, but other Socialist politicians intend to question Germany's role in NATO's nuclear strategy.
Will the coronavirus cause the comeback of Germany’s political centre?
Germans are more satisfied with their government than they have been for a long time, thanks to its coronavirus response. It is making life increasingly difficult for the opposition. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Is Germany’s digital ministry just a ‘phantom debate’?
The conservative CDU/CSU union is demanding a new digital ministry. While the discussion is not new, the union's coalition partner, the Socialist Party (SPD), is saying that institutes are already dealing with digital issues, they are just underfunded. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Crisis-ridden SPD wins state parliamentary elections in Hamburg
Voters in Hamburg gave the SPD one of their best election results in recent years in a regional election on Sunday (23 February). With 38,9% of the vote, Peter Tschentscher (SPD) will continue as the city’s mayor, while the Greens doubled their share of the vote to reach 24,4%. Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU, however, performed poorly.
Hamburg elections, pose (another) crash test for Germany’s mainstream parties
Voters in the city state of Hamburg will elect their new parliament on 23 February, the first elections to take place after the Thuringian political turmoil broke out earlier this month. This is yet another test for Germany’s traditional parties that could seal the end of the country's traditional political landscape.
Huawei shouldn’t be getting its hopes up for German 5G expansion just yet
Although the CDU and CSU did not explicitly decide on the exclusion of Huawei, their position paper provided exclusion criteria that could nonetheless apply to the Chinese telecom giant. The ball is now in the court of the coalition partners, the Social Democratic Party (SPD). EURACTIV Germany reports.
Why are Germany’s Greens rejecting the Austrian coalition model?
Many have seen Austria's new conservative-Green coalition as a model for Europe, and especially for Germany. But the German Greens quickly distanced themselves, motivated by strategic calculation, election tactics and a concern that their more idealistic electorate would not approve it. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Germany’s plans for automatic facial recognition meet fierce criticism
Germany's Interior Minister Horst Seehofer plans to use automatic facial recognition at 134 railway stations and 14 airports, according to a news report published on 3 January. Although official confirmation of the plan is still missing, an alliance between civil society and politicians has called for the banning of this surveillance technology. EURACTIV Germany reports.
New SPD leadership on its way to challenge Germany’s Grand Coalition
Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) officially elected Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter-Borjans as the new chairmen at a national conference on Friday (6 December). There was no vote about remaining in the Grand Coalition with the CDU/CSU conservatives, but the new leadership appears to have 'declared war' on them. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Record numbers of young voters backed AfD in Thuringia state election
The state elections in Thuringia on Sunday (27 October) demonstrated how strong the AfD was among young people under 30, who voted in record numbers for the far-right party. Die Linke (the Left) came in second, while the Greens lagged far behind. EURACTIV's media partner Der Tagesspiegel reports.
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.