Berlins Zusammenarbeit mit dem künftigen US-Präsidenten Mit Biden wird nicht alles einfacher Die Bundesregierung tat sich mit dem unberechenbaren US-Präsidenten Donald Trump äußerst schwer. Bei manchem Thema könnte es auch mit Joe Biden knifflig werden. Aber natürlich atmen sie in Berlin jetzt erst mal auf. Von Florian Gathmann, Matthias Gebauer und Christoph Schult
Former German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel 'The World Is Changing Dramatically' Former German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel speaks to DER SPIEGEL about his call for the country to take on a new global role and why Germans are underestimating the dangers posed by the current geopolitical situation. Von Mathieu von Rohr und Britta Sandberg
Arms for Hostage? Berlin Weighs Tank Deal with Turkey to Free Journalist Officially, Germany insists it wants no part of any kind of trade-off with Turkey in its effort to free imprisoned journalist Deniz Yücel. Behind the scenes, though, a tank deal could be taking shape. Von Matthias Gebauer und Christoph Schult
Germany's Foreign Minister 'We Are Seeing What Happens When the U.S. Pulls Back' In an interview, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel urges Germany to pay greater attention to the future of the EU. He warns that there are no vacuums in international politics and that when the U.S. withdraws, Russia or China step in. Von Christiane Hoffmann und Klaus Brinkbäumer
Playing with Fire Trump Risks New Conflagration in Middle East U.S. President Donald Trump made it clear last week that he is close to withdrawing from the Iran accord unless Iran agrees to make changes. His chances for success are slim - and his blustering risks a dangerous escalation. By DER SPIEGEL staff
Erdogan's Insults Germany's Hardline on Turkey Begins to Soften With the Turkish president firing away at Germany at will, Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel recently announced that Berlin would take a tougher stance. It hasn't happened. Indeed, Germany may soon have to cough up significant amounts of money for Ankara. Von Peter Müller und Christoph Schult
Interview with Germany's Foreign Minister By Pulling Away, U.S. 'Does the Most Damage To Itself' In an interview, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel discusses the consequences of the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate protection and his particularly tough stance against U.S. President Donald Trump. Von Severin Weiland
'Rearmament Spiral' A German Clash over Trump's NATO Demands U.S. President Donald Trump's demand that NATO member states pay their fair share has turned into a political hot potato ahead of German elections later this year. But the debate ignores a salient fact: The German military is in a terrible state. Von Konstantin von Hammerstein
Selling Out Berlin Sends Wrong Message By Welcoming Sisi The German government is welcoming Egypt's contentious President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during a state visit on Wednesday. By doing so, Berlin is betraying its own values and interests in order to facilitate a multibillion euro business deal. Von Raniah Salloum
Decades of Suspicions Did German Companies Aid Syrian Chemical Weapons Program? Government documents and information from the Assad regime indicate that German companies may have helped Syria produce chemical weapons over the course of decades. So far, the Merkel administration has shown no willingness to investigate. Von Gunther Latsch, Fidelius Schmid und Klaus Wiegrefe
Germany's Ailing Infrastructure A Nation Slowly Crumbles Germany has long had a reputation for excellent infrastructure. But in recent years, both public and private investment has dwindled dramatically, and officials are increasingly concerned about how to solve the problem. They have good reason to be worried. Von SPIEGEL Staff
Queen's Quandary Chancellor Merkel's Power Erodes in Europe For years, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was the strongest politician in the European Union. Lately, her hold on power has become weaker -- and one of the greatest challenges is coming from within her own government. Von SPIEGEL Staff
Green Fade-Out Europe to Ditch Climate Protection Goals The EU's reputation as a model of environmental responsibility may soon be history. The European Commission wants to forgo ambitious climate protection goals and pave the way for fracking -- jeopardizing Germany's touted energy revolution in the process. Von Gregor Peter Schmitz
Tepid Talks A Coalition Devoid of Vision The coalition taking shape in Berlin between Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and the center-left Social Democrats will have a huge majority in parliament. But the halfhearted discussion that's gone on so far suggests that the government won't tackle big projects -- and Merkel is to blame. Von Philipp Wittrock
Coalition Talks Parties Take On Rent Hikes and Dual Citizenship Coalition negotiations between German Chancellor Merkel's conservatives and the center-left Social Democrats are beginning to yield results. The parties agreed Monday night to plan for capping rent hikes, with dual citizenship and a tougher prostitution law on the agenda for this week.
Pushover Party Social Democrats Must Not Give Up on Europe In coalition negotiations, the center-left Social Democrats appear to have backed off on their demands to control the Finance Ministry. Relinquishing the post would mean letting Angela Merkel trample over them -- and abandoning their push to move Germany's Europe policy to the left. Von Gregor Peter Schmitz
S.P.O.N. - Im Zweifel links K wie Kuscheln Drei Kandidaten sind zwei zu viel. Dass sich die SPD bis 2013 nicht festlegen will, mag taktisch richtig sein - politisch ist es falsch. Die Genossen müssen endlich reinen Tisch machen und klarstellen, wer im kommenden Jahr gegen Angela Merkel antreten soll. Von Jakob Augstein
French-German Relations What a Hollande Victory Would Mean for Merkel German Chancellor Merkel has made it clear that she would like to see French President Nicolas Sarkozy win a second term. Indeed, if his challenger François Hollande emerges victorious in the country's upcoming election, she could face isolation in Europe. But a Sarkozy re-election might be problematic, too. Von Veit Medick und Severin Weiland
Interview with Opposition Leader Gabriel 'We Have Much to Thank Grass For' For decades, Nobel laureate Günter Grass has supported Germany's Social Democrats on the campaign trail. Despite massive critique of the author's recent poem about Israel, SPD head Sigmar Gabriel defends Grass in an interview with SPIEGEL. He also says that the Pirate Party still has a lot to learn.
Interview with German Opposition Leader 'Commercial Banking Should Be Split From Investment Banking' In an interview with SPIEGEL, Sigmar Gabriel, the leader of the opposition center-left Social Democrats, outlines his plans to tame financial capitalism, warns that the supposed supremacy of banks and markets is eroding faith in politics and says the SPD would do a better job containing the crisis.