SPIEGEL ONLINE
- May 14, 2013
German Chancellor Angela Merkel wanted to ignore the Alternative for Germany. But with the anti-euro party gaining ground, many among her conservatives say it is time to change strategy. They are concerned that the currency heretics could cost Merkel her re-election. By SPIEGEL Staff more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- May 13, 2013
"We will definitely be voted into federal parliament. I can do nothing to change that." Thus spoke Johannes Ponader, a top member of Germany's Pirate Party one year ago. It turns out, he may have been mistaken. In the last 12 months, the party has seen its support plummet -- to below the 5 percent necessary for seats in the Bundestag. And this weekend, the Pirates tried to finally turn their ship around.
By Charles Hawley more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- May 08, 2013
Germany's low unemployment rate is the envy of much of Europe. Yet it masks the difficulties many working Germans have in making ends meet and their reliance on welfare benefits. The issue could become important as the election campaign heats up. more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- May 07, 2013
The anti-euro party "Alternative for Germany" (AfD) was officially founded just a few weeks ago, but it has clearly struck a nerve: It already numbers 10,476 members, SPIEGEL has learned -- some 2,800 of which have switched allegiance from Germany's established parties.
By Jane Paulick more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 15, 2013
Will Angela Merkel step down in 2015? A new biography of the German chancellor by Nikolaus Blome, the chief political correspondent of tabloid newspaper
, is likely to fan speculation that the chancellor won't serve a full third term even if she does win the general election in September.
Bild more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 12, 2013
This weekend, the anti-euro Alternative for Germany party will celebrate its official launch in Berlin. Interest in the group has been growing in recent weeks, but pollsters say its chances of landing seats in the federal parliament this fall are still slim. By Philipp Wittrock more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 08, 2013
In an interview with SPIEGEL, Peer Steinbrück, the 66-year-old Social Democrat German chancellor candidate, says Chancellor Angela Merkel's strict focus on austerity in the debt crisis has been wrong. He also vows to crack down on tax evaders and raise taxes on high earners. more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 05, 2013
Germany's Social Democrats had hoped that François Hollande's victory last spring would provide them with some momentum. But Friday's visit to Paris by SPD candidate Peer Steinbrück has highlighted the difficulties facing the European left. A renaissance this election year seems unlikely. By Charles Hawley more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 05, 2013
When it comes to the integration of Germany's Muslim minority, the center-left Social Democrats tend to be much less hard-line than Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives. But on Wednesday evening, SPD chancellor candidate Peer Steinbrück may have gone a step too far when he waded into what in the past has been a hornet's nest of controversy in Germany. He expressed support for physical education classes in German schools to be divided by gender.
By Charles Hawley more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 02, 2013
In July 1991, two youths punched Karamba Diaby in the face and chased after him in a racist attack in Halle, an eastern German town with a significant neo-Nazi problem. Now he's about to campaign in the city to become the first black member of the German parliament in the September general election.
By Gordon Repinski more...
