German chancellor Olaf Scholz brings down government and issues spending promise to voters
Snap election expected to take place in late February
Germany
Paris-Berlin express: New rail link throws down gauntlet to airlines
Good prices, low emissions and unlimited luggage allowance of fast train between European powerhouse cities give planes a run for their money
Remembering Robert Armstrong: Ronan McGreevy on a gardener whose life was disrupted by two world wars
The proud, stubborn and courageous Monaghan man chose a path which led to his premature death
Germany awaits political duel between Scholz and Merz
Scholz will use his last Bundestag address to defend his government’s record, matching higher spending on security with more generous welfare
Third-century ‘sensation’: Tiny silver scroll the oldest written proof of Christianity north of Alps
Scroll was held in silver amulet worn by man buried outside Frankfurt between 230 and 270 AD
The Irish Times view on Schengen: fraying freedom of movement
With populist parties shaping the narrative, Europe’s risky game of border dominoes may topple the historic achievement
Can I work for my foreign employer from my home in Ireland?
Remote work across borders presents challenges, particularly when you have not told your employer what you are doing
EU’s Schengen free travel area not so free as Germany imposes more border checks
Founding member states are chipping away at the original idea - some would say ideal - of Schengen
Ireland’s five biggest problems: War, climate change, an EU crisis, housing and Trump
The next government faces immense challenges that require guile, nerve, judgment and luck
Germany sees recession risk rise after industrial production slump
Unexpected 1% fall in output undermines hopes Europe’s largest economy was slowly overcoming malaise
Volkswagen blues: Carmaker struggles to build a business for an EV future
Management, unions and owners face off at Wolfsburg plant in VW heartland against background of financial and reputational hangover from ‘dieselgate’
French government collapses after losing no-confidence vote in parliament
Left and far right punish PM Michel Barnier for using special constitutional powers to ram part of unpopular budget through parliament
Ireland has ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ chance to fuel EU hydrogen network
German government looking to Ireland to produce huge amounts of hydrogen from offshore wind farms as it looks to decarbonise its heavy industry
Volkswagen workers strike in latest unrest at carmaking giant
Two-hour stoppages can slow production on hundreds of cars at a time
Germany sends more military aid to Ukraine and criticises China’s support for Russia
Scholz’s trip comes weeks after he faced criticism from Volodymyr Zelenskiy for speaking to Vladimir Putin by phone
‘It is a right that was violently taken away’: The Jews who want to be German again
Jews whose family members fled the Nazis in the 1930s have reclaimed their German citizenship
Pressure builds for Germany to drop ‘debt brake’
Brake back in spotlight after Angela Merkel came out in favour of reforming the spending rule
Left-conservative BSW of Sahra Wagenknecht agrees coalition deals in two eastern German states
Sahra Wagenknecht's party will share power in Brandenburg and Thuringia after attracting support with demands on Ukraine and immigration
Old habits die hard as Angela Merkel keeps tight hold on information in memoir
Reluctance to elaborate on the personal and political was key to the chancellor’s political longevity. It is a trait she struggles to escape in her book Freedom
Volkswagen woes reflect wider German malaise as election nears
German car industry languishing amid struggle to master electric vehicles
Olaf Scholz wins SPD candidacy battle but may yet lose election war
Defence minister Boris Pistorious looks set to become the party’s most influential figure
Angela Merkel saw Donald Trump as spellbound by autocratic leaders
In her new memoir the German former chancellor writes that Trump seemed to find Vladimir Putin ‘very fascinating’
Swedish authorities track Chinese vessel to scene of Baltic cable breaks
Prosecutors in Stockholm launch preliminary investigation into suspected sabotage, hours after Germany dubs cable failure part of a ‘hybrid operation’
Germany’s SPD has its Biden-Harris moment as Scholz’s popularity plummets
Slide in polls and Scholz-Pistorius debate have ramped up tensions for ruling party’s Bundestag members
Believe Nothing Until it is Officially Denied: Claud Cockburn and the Invention of Guerrilla Journalism - A manic press career
Patrick Cockburn remains detached but proud of father’s career as determined, ruthless revolutionary
‘Solitary and sad’ German man (63) jailed for 12 years over house fire that killed mother
Guenter Lohse set fire to home in Co Donegal after family plan to send him back to Germany, court heard
Conservative leader accuses Scholz of sowing division in Germany’s economy
Friedrich Merz calls the SDP party leader’s actions as ‘unworthy of a chancellor’
German parties agree to February federal election
Vote will come seven months early following collapse of coalition led by Olaf Scholz
Germany’s memory battle over ‘Nie Wieder’: never again
Once the cornerstone of the country’s remembrance culture, the slogan’s meaning has become increasingly blurred
Fiction in translation: Darkenbloom a profoundly disturbing Austrian satire
Reviews of books by Eva Menasse, Federico Falco, SJ Nolde, Aharon Appelfeld and Leonid Tsypkin
Herscht 07769 by László Krasznahorkai: A paean to depth and meaning amid violence and death
The novel’s protagonist, Florian Herscht, writes and rewrites a letter to Angela Merkel about what he believes to be an existential threat to the world
Winter election in the air for Germany as Olaf Scholz under pressure to get the timing right
Chancellor is open to moving poll date forward to January, but some fear early vote will bring high risks for smaller parties
Two German wines that are a little bit more expensive, but certainly worth it
Wines for the Weekend: This Reisling and Pinot Noir are the ones to go for when on promotion
Olaf Scholz finally delivers on dynamic promise as firing of Germany’s finance chief blows up his coalition
German chancellor morphs from soft-spoken lawyer into Scholzilla on live TV, saying there is ‘no basis of trust for further co-operation’
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE...
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Election 2024
Full general election coverage including analysis and results for all 43 constituencies
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
Family NoticesOpens in new window
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices