German chancellor Olaf Scholz brings down government and issues spending promise to voters
Snap election expected to take place in late February
Olaf Scholz
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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’
Germany’s political instability hurting Europe, EU leaders say
European Union leaders sound alarm over weak governments in Germany and France
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
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
‘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
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
Germany’s Scholz faces wrath of business leaders against grim economic backdrop
Chancellor under pressure amid sluggish economy and opposition leader’s popularity
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Olaf Scholz attacks German opposition over migration standoff
Social Democratic Party leader rejects Christian Democratic Union claim government has ‘lost control’ of immigration
German border checks the frustrating new normal in what was the heart of EU’s open-border Schengen area
As migration ramps up tensions in the Scholz coalition, few in Berlin expect ‘temporary’ border measures to be eased before June 2026, when a new EU migration and asylum pact comes in
Draghi diagnoses economic ills but will EU take his medicine?
Former ECB head gives his diagnosis but European Union likely won’t agree to take its medicine
German Chancellor says ‘now is time’ for talks between Ukraine and Russia
Germany's Olaf Scholz tells ZDF the time is right ‘to discuss how we can get out of this war situation and towards peace’
Germany’s leaders are struggling to deliver stable government, healthy economy and secure social order
With old political certainties withering and new populist parties surging, the 75th birthday party for German parliamentary democracy is a festival of strange bedfellows
What I Read This Week: Grenfell heartbreak and Germanglophiles obsession with nudity
Derek Scally on the stories that caught his eye including how talk about mental health in Ireland rarely results in action
VW’s crisis of confidence is giving the German economy a migraine
The carmaker’s struggles reflect the difficult time the country’s once-vaunted manufacturing base is going through
Germany’s ‘prudent’ but unpopular Olaf Scholz grapples with immigration, asylum and arms for Ukraine
Representative survey out this week indicated just 23 per cent of Germans would like Chancellor to return for a second term
State election results weaken Olaf Scholz and have ramifications for all of Germany
Excluding Alternative for Germany (AfD) from power after its strong showing on Sunday will enable it to rally support against the ‘undemocratic’ established parties
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