Germany

Possible German coalition governments

Germany faces the possibility months of tough negotiations to form a coalition government after the federal election on Sunday, with three parties needing to team up to clear the threshold…

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EU parliament chief congratulates Scholz as German election winner

The head of the European Parliament congratulated Olaf Scholz, the chancellor candidate for Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) as winner after a narrow election victory, the first official European Union reaction…

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Berliners vote to expropriate large landlords in non-binding referendum

A majority of voters in Berlin wants city hall to expropriate major landlords such as Vonovia and Deutsche Wohnen to help reduce rents in the German capital, provisional referendum results…

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German capital Berlin to get first female mayor

The Social Democrats (SPD) won the regional election to lead the state government in Berlin, according to provisional results on Monday, meaning that their candidate Franziska Giffey will become the…

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UPDATED: Pledging stability, German SPD seeks three-way alliance to succeed Merkel

German Social Democrat Olaf Scholz vowed on Monday to strengthen the European Union and keep up the transatlantic partnership in a three-way coalition government he hopes to form by Christmas…

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German SPD seeks allies to replace Merkel-led coalition

Germany's Social Democrats were set on Monday to start the process of trying to form a government after they narrowly won their first national election since 2005 to end 16…

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German SPD beat conservatives in vote to decide Merkel successor

Germany's Social Democrats narrowly won Sunday's national election, projected results showed, and claimed a "clear mandate" to lead a government for the first time since 2005 and to end 16…

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German SPD edges ahead of conservatives in vote to decide Merkel successor

BERLIN, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Germany's Social Democrats came first by a narrow margin in Sunday's national election, projected results showed, putting them in pole position to lead a government…

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UPDATE – German CDU’s Laschet vows to try to build conservative-led government

UPDATE - BERLIN, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Germany's conservative CDU chancellor candidate Armin Laschet said his party could not be satisfied with the results of an election on Sunday but…

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How politicians reacted after exit polls from Germany’s election

BERLIN, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Reactions from senior German politicians and others after exit polls from Sunday's national election https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germans-vote-close-election-decide-merkel-successor-2021-09-25 showed Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz's…

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UPDATE – Germans vote in close election to decide Merkel successor

BERLIN (Reuters) -Germans went to the polls on Sunday in a national election too close to call, with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) mounting a strong challenge to retiring Chancellor…

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Analysis – A guide to Germany’s electoral system

BERLIN, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Sixty million voters, casting twice as many votes for 47 parties, leading to a parliament that could have anywhere from 700 to as much as 1,000…

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InDepth – German Bundestag could expand again after elections

Berlin (dpa) - The next German parliament could be even bigger than the current one, according to a leading election researcher. Based on the latest polls, Robert Vehrkamp from the Bertelsmann media group…

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Jamaica, traffic lights or kiwis: Germany’s coalition conundrum

A narrowing of the polls has turned what looked like a homeward romp for Germany's conservatives into a tight race to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel, with multiple potential coalitions after…

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German millionaires rush assets to Switzerland ahead of election

A potential lurch to the left in Germany's election on Sunday is scaring millionaires into moving assets into Switzerland, bankers and tax lawyers say. If the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD),…

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Final rallies in Germany before Sunday’s knife-edge vote

Germany's election is too close to call, with the latest polls putting the two main parties fighting to come out top almost neck and neck. Polls suggest an unusually tight…

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German conservatives raise spectre of far-left rule ahead of election

A shadow is looming over Germany's election: the spectre of the far-left Linke party, heir to the communists who once ruled East Germany, coming in from the political wilderness. At…

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German election race tightens three days before vote

The German election race heated up on Thursday as the lead of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) over Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives narrowed to just four points, three days before…

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Germany seeks backing for Tedros at WHO as deadline for proposing candidates set to expire

Germany is seeking support from other European Union members to ensure a second term for Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the helm of the World Health Organisation, but African states have…

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German Social Democrats’ lead narrows days before election

BERLIN/STRALSUND, Germany, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) saw their lead over Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives narrow in a poll published on Tuesday, pointing to a tightening race…

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WHO’s Tedros wins German backing for second term

BERLIN, Sept 21 (Reuters) - German Health Minister Jens Spahn backed a second term for World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and called on other countries to support the…

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German electoral race remains open but SDP solidifies lead

Less than a week before Germany's federal election, the race remains open with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) leading in voter polls as the country searches for a new chancellor…

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No target date for lifting coronavirus curbs, German govt says

The German government was not giving a target date for lifting coronavirus-related social distancing regulations since there was no certainty about how the pandemic would develop this winter, a spokesman…

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SPD’s Scholz wins third TV debate as German election draws close

Social Democrat Olaf Scholz brushed off a last-gasp attack from his conservative rival in a televised election debate on Sunday, cementing his position as front runner to succeed Chancellor Angela…

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Merkel aide warns against protracted coalition talks as TV debate nears

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff called on political parties to agree quickly on who should succeed her after next Sunday's election and avoid the kind of protracted coalition…

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German police arrest four over threat to synagogue

DUESSELDORF, Germany, Sept 16 (Reuters) - German police said on Thursday they had arrested four people, including a 16-year-old boy, after they received information about a possible threat to a…

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German election too close to call as many voters still undecided

Germany's federal election is too close to call as the number of still undecided voters hit a record high less than two weeks before the poll, in which centre-right Chancellor…

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In Germany’s election hashtag debate, activists win battle for ‘likes

Sept 13 (Reuters) - As the main contenders in the race to succeed Angela Merkel as Germany's next chancellor faced off in a televised debate on Sunday night, their political…

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Germany has four months to certify Nord Stream 2 pipeline

FRANKFURT, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Germany's energy regulator on Monday said it had four months to complete a certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline after receiving all necessary…

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German SPD extends lead over Merkel’s conservatives before TV election debate

BERLIN, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) have opened up a bigger lead over Armin Laschet's conservative bloc, a poll showed on Sunday ahead of a primetime television…

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Bavaria’s CSU rallies behind struggling Laschet as German vote looms

BERLIN (Reuters) - Armin Laschet, the conservative candidate to succeed Angela Merkel as German chancellor, received strong support from Bavaria's Christian Social Union (CSU) on Saturday as he mounts a…

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French, Greek regions removed from Germany’s COVID-19 risk list

BERLIN, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Germany removed the Greek regions of Crete and the southern Aegean as well as the French regions of Corsica and Occitania from its list of…

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Photo Story: Pumpkin festival in Mechernich

A pumpkin sculpture forms a circus elephant on a field in Mechernich, Germany. With what is said to be the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia's largest pumpkin show, the…

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BioNTech to seek approval soon for vaccine for 5-11 year olds

BioNTech is set to request approval across the globe to use its COVID-19 vaccine in children as young as five over the next few weeks and preparations for a launch…

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Germany recommends COVID-19 vaccinations for pregnant women

Germany's vaccine oversight body on Friday recommended that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should be vaccinated against COVID-19 with an mRNA-based shot. The Permanent Vaccination Commission (STIKO) advises that…

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Paid influencers must label posts as ads, German court rules

Social media influencers who receive money from companies to promote products must clearly label such posts as advertisements, a top German court ruled on Thursday. If the influencers are not…

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Merkel: conservatives face a tough battle after 16 years in office

Chancellor Angela Merkel said nobody in her conservative bloc had ever doubted that they faced a tough battle to hold on to the chancellery after her 16 years in office,…

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UPDATED: German finance ministry raided in money laundering probe

German prosecutors raided the finance and justice ministries on Thursday as part of an investigation into possible obstruction of justice by the government’s anti-money laundering agency. The probe into the…

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Germany warned of “massive momentum” in COVID cases in autumn

Germany could see a "massive momentum" in new COVID cases in autumn if the vaccination rate does not increase, the head of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious disease…

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Factbox: Germany’s election and the finance industry

Germany elects a new parliament on Sept. 26, with potential ramifications for its financial industry. Here are details on how the parties in the running to lead the next government…

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Merkel implores Germans to back Laschet at election to succeed her

Chancellor Angela Merkel made an impassioned plea to German voters on Tuesday to back a government led by conservative Armin Laschet at this month's national election, saying their other option was a…

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Allianz under investigation in Germany

German regulators have launched an investigation into the country's biggest financial company, Allianz, after the demise of some of its U.S. investment funds last year, people with direct knowledge of the…

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German far left courts SPD and Greens for three-way coalition

Germany's far-left Linke pitched themselves on Monday as would-be coalition partners for the Social Democrats and Greens after a Sept. 26 election, arguing they offer the two larger parties the…

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German industrial orders surge on robust foreign demand

German industrial orders unexpectedly surged in July, official figures showed on Monday, hitting a post-reunification high and pointing to a solid start to the second half in the engine room…

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Taliban tells Berlin it will welcome German companies, aid

The Taliban would welcome German investment in Afghanistan and help in areas including humanitarian aid, health care, education and infrastructure, the group's spokesman told Bild newspaper. The Taliban took power…

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Russia responsible for cyber attacks on German parliament -German foreign ministry

Russia is responsible for a renewed cyber attack on the German parliament, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry in Berlin told journalists on Monday. "The German government has reliable information…

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UPDATED: Germany says no indication death of its Beijing envoy was political

A German Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday there was no reason to believe that the sudden death of Jan Hecker, Germany's newly appointed ambassador to Beijing, had a political…

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Boosted by surge in polls, Germany’s Scholz bets on coalition with the Greens

Germany's centre-left chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz wants to lead Europe's largest economy in a coalition government with the left-leaning Greens, though polls suggest he will need support of a third…

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Porsche, Puma to join Germany’s DAX as index expands

German carmaker Porsche and sportswear maker Puma will join the nation's premier DAX stock index, as it expands to 40 from 30 companies in the biggest overhaul of its 33-year…

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Photo Story: Festival of Lights in Berlin

The Berlin Cathedral is illuminated during the Festival of Lights in Berlin, Germany. During the festival, buildings and landmarks of the German capital are screened with light installations and 3D…

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German services sector drives growth as recovery persists- PMI

Activity in Germany's services sector expanded at a strong pace in August, albeit slightly weaker than in the previous month, as businesses which had been hit by coronavirus lockdowns catered…

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German climate NGOs take legal action against automakers, Wintershall

Greenpeace and German environmental NGO Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) will take legal action against BMW, Daimler's Mercedes-Benz , Volkswagen and gas and oil firm Wintershall Dea over their impact on climate…

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German SPD extends lead over Merkel’s sliding conservatives

Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) have opened up a five-point lead over Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives ahead of a Sept. 26 national election that promises multiple coalition options, a poll showed.…

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Germany says EU should enable military coalitions to tackle crises

Germany called on the European Union to enable coalitions of the willing within the bloc to rapidly deploy a military force in a crisis as members discussed the lessons learned…

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German retail sales plunge in July, signalling weak start to Q3

German retail sales fell by far more than expected in July after two months of sharp increases, data showed on Wednesday, in a first sign that a consumer-driven recovery in…

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German companies can’t ask about employees’ vaccine status, says minister

German companies will not be granted the right to find out whether their employees are vaccinated against COVID-19, although provisions could be made for some particularly risky workplaces, the labour…

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German unemployment falls further in August as recovery continues

German unemployment fell more than expected in August, official figures showed on Tuesday, as a recovery continues in Europe's largest economy despite rising COVID-19 figures. The Labour Office said the…

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