Olaf Scholz

As German election nears, Scholz accuses rival of courting populists and far right

Christian Democratic Union leader Friedrich Merz blames chancellor for ‘law and order’ crisis

Wed Jan 29 2025 - 19:00

German opposition leader’s hopes of becoming chancellor hang in the balance as economic plan fails to convince

For long-time Berlin watchers, the most likely electoral outcome is a return to the Merkel era with another CDU-SPD grand coalition

Sat Jan 11 2025 - 04:45

Joe Biden leads tributes to Jimmy Carter following ex-president’s death aged 100

State funeral scheduled for Jaunary 9th, at which Biden will deliver a eulogy

Mon Dec 30 2024 - 17:19

Elon Musk article praising far-right AfD condemned by German political parties and press bodies

CDU leader and other politicians criticise media group Axel Springer over publication of opinion piece by US billionaire in Welt am Sonntag

Sun Dec 29 2024 - 19:00

German president dissolves parliament for February elections

Frank-Walter Steinmeier warns of external influence but calls for a campaign marked by ‘respect and decency’

Fri Dec 27 2024 - 11:57

‘I’ll never forget the trail of bodies’: Magdeburg witnesses recount Christmas market attack

As some waited for news of injured loved-ones, locals at the crash scene struggled to keep up with twists and turns of the story

Sat Dec 21 2024 - 18:02

German Christmas market attack: Five dead, including child (9), as details of alleged perpetrator emerge

Police identify driver in car-ramming incident that killed five and injured 200 as a Saudi doctor who has lived in Germany since 2006

Sat Dec 21 2024 - 17:02

To the French, Germans and even the Brits, Ireland is blessed with boring politics

Amid criticism of Ireland’s domestic politics making it hard for new ideas to break through, there’s something to be said for ‘same old, same old’

Thu Dec 19 2024 - 06:00

German chancellor Olaf Scholz brings down government and issues spending promise to voters

Snap election expected to take place in late February

Mon Dec 16 2024 - 16:35

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

Sun Dec 15 2024 - 16:32

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

Mon Dec 02 2024 - 12:08

Volkswagen woes reflect wider German malaise as election nears

German car industry languishing amid struggle to master electric vehicles

Sat Nov 23 2024 - 06:00

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

Fri Nov 22 2024 - 16:41

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

Tue Nov 19 2024 - 09:52

EU spending ‘too long’ hesitating on support for Ukraine, says foreign affairs chief

Foreign ministers reject proposal for EU to suspend ‘political dialogue’ with Israel over war in Gaza

Mon Nov 18 2024 - 13:31

Russian missiles target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure

Kyiv says air attack is a rebuke to western leaders who believe Kremlin is open to peace talks

Sun Nov 17 2024 - 18:49

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’

Wed Nov 13 2024 - 16:10

German parties agree to February federal election

Vote will come seven months early following collapse of coalition led by Olaf Scholz

Tue Nov 12 2024 - 12:28

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

Fri Nov 08 2024 - 19:05

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’

Thu Nov 07 2024 - 20:19

Germany’s political instability hurting Europe, EU leaders say

European Union leaders sound alarm over weak governments in Germany and France

Thu Nov 07 2024 - 17:24

Europe is ill equipped for chaos of second Trump term

Prospects of a trade war and collapse of US support for Ukraine pose grave threats to EU

Thu Nov 07 2024 - 05:00

Germany’s coalition stands on a knife edge after Olaf Scholz fires finance minister

Chancellor accuses FDP leader Christian Lindner of ‘egotism’, but will wait until January to call snap election

Wed Nov 06 2024 - 21:37

‘He’s very angry with Europe’: Trump win puts EU on ‘bumpy road’, says former trade commissioner

Warning comes as European leaders congratulate Donald Trump on US election victory

Wed Nov 06 2024 - 16:50

Multi-billion stimulus plan proposed for Germany

German economics minister Robert Habeck argues country trapped in vicious circle of low growth and a tight fiscal corset

Thu Oct 24 2024 - 06:00

Germany’s Scholz faces wrath of business leaders against grim economic backdrop

Chancellor under pressure amid sluggish economy and opposition leader’s popularity

Wed Oct 23 2024 - 06:00

Biden calls for greater backing for Ukraine and praises German support on short visit to Berlin

US president in Germany to hold talks with Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer

Fri Oct 18 2024 - 15:39

Germany struggles with complexities of its relationship with Israel as war and suffering continue

In the country of the Holocaust, pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian camps have spent the last year facing off on a daily basis

Thu Oct 10 2024 - 18:52

Italian bank UniCredit’s bid for German stalwart Commerzbank provokes outrage

However, State sold shares accumulated during 2008-2010 banking crisis to bidder in auction

Tue Sept 24 2024 - 16:02

Germany’s SPD benefits from keeping Olaf Scholz in background

Chancellor has lost his three-year-old hero factor in recent elections. He has even been dropped from SPD posters

Mon Sept 23 2024 - 19:48

Pastors make stand as Alternative for Germany set for electoral gains in chancellor’s backyard

Polls say the far-right party will get another big win in Tuesday’s state election in Brandenberg, further weakening the position of chancellor Olaf Scholz

Fri Sept 20 2024 - 15:00

Friedrich Merz to compete against Olaf Scholz for chancellery in 2025

Centre-right opposition leader gets CDU and CSU backing in shift towards tougher line on migration

Tue Sept 17 2024 - 18:08

German police say new border checks ‘impossible to implement’

Interior minister Nancy Faeser said decision to temporarily set aside open-border measures was due to security risk posed by the numbers of irregular arrivals

Mon Sept 16 2024 - 17:57

Olaf Scholz attacks German opposition over migration standoff

Social Democratic Party leader rejects Christian Democratic Union claim government has ‘lost control’ of immigration

Wed Sept 11 2024 - 18:12