Category: German

EU Should Abolish Veto Rights for Individual States: German Foreign Minister

BERLIN—Germany’s foreign minister said on Monday the European Union should abolish the right of individual member states to veto foreign policy measures as the 27-nation bloc could not allow itself to be “held hostage.” His comments, which came days after a more junior official criticized Hungary by name, reflect growing frustration in Berlin at the…


German Conservative State Election Win Boosts Laschet’s Chancellery Hopes

MAGDEBURG, Germany—Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives looked set for a resounding victory in a state election in eastern Germany on Sunday, in a boost to Armin Laschet, who hopes to succeed her in September’s national election. An exit poll for public broadcaster MDR had the Christian Democrats (CDU) on 36 percent, up more than six points…


Court Declares Missing German Billionaire Dead After 3 Years

BERLIN—A German court on Friday officially declared billionaire Karl-Erivan Haub dead, more than three years after the head of retail group Tengelmann went missing in the Swiss Alps. Haub, who was 58, was training for a ski mountaineering race when he disappeared under Switzerland’s famous Matterhorn peak, located on the southern border with Italy. He…


Germany to Restrict AstraZeneca Use in Under-60s Over Clots

BERLIN—German health officials agreed Tuesday to restrict the use of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine in people under 60, amid fresh concern over unusual blood clots reported in a number of those who received the shots. Health Minister Jens Spahn and state officials agreed unanimously to only give the vaccine to people aged 60 or older, unless…


German Industry Urges EU to Toughen Response to Unfair Chinese Trade Practices

BERLIN-The European Union should take a tougher approach to protecting companies from unfair Chinese trade practices as Beijing is not keeping its promise to further open up its economy, Germany’s BDI industry association said on Thursday. China has become Germany’s most important trading partner and exports of “Made in Germany” goods to the country have…


US Calls German Warship’s Plan to Sail South China Sea Support for Rules-Based Order

WASHINGTON—The United States on Wednesday 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, something Washington says is threatened by China. German government officials said on Tuesday a German frigate would set sail for Asia in…


Germany Prepares Way for Its Troops to Stay in Afghanistan

BERLIN—The German government is preparing the way for the country’s troops in Afghanistan—the second-biggest contingent in the NATO force—to stay in place until next year if needed. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Cabinet on Wednesday approved a new draft mandate that would enable German troops to stay until Jan. 31, government spokesman Steffen Seibert said. German troop…


‘A Symbol of Hope’: German Military Aid Arrives in Portugal

LISBON—A German military plane carrying over 20 doctors and nurses together with ventilators and hospital beds arrived on Wednesday in coronavirus-stricken Portugal, where a severe rise in cases has prompted several European nations to offer help. The German team will manage a new unit of eight ICU beds in a private hospital in Lisbon, Hospital…


Far-Right Gunman Handed Life Sentence for Killing German Politician

FRANKFURT—A German court sentenced a far-right sympathizer to life imprisonment on Thursday for shooting dead a pro-immigration politician, in a case that raised questions about whether the country is doing enough to tackle right-wing radicalism. Walter Luebcke, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives, was found dead in a pool of blood outside his house…