Angela Merkel

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August 2008
- Germany Is Crux of Russia Talks
  
  New York Times | Aug 25, 08 10:05 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A fretful Eastern Europe is hoping Germany can play a key diplomatic role in its stare-down with Russia, the New York Times reports. Until recently, relations between Moscow and Berlin were too cozy for the Caucasus’ tastes, but East German-born Angela Merkel has distanced herself from Russia just enough to be a credible mediator, criticizing the country's leaders on democracy, press freedoms, and human rights. More »
July 2008
- Obama in Berlin Ahead of Speech
  
  Reuters | Jul 24, 08 5:39 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Barack Obama arrived in Berlin this morning, where he met Angela Merkel at the German chancellery ahead of a major speech this evening. The Europe leg of the candidate's tour followed an early-morning stop at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Obama will speak to the chancellor and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, her foreign minister and chief rival, before his address at the Siegessäule at 7:00pm local time. More »
- Germany Bickers Over Obama Speech at Landmark
  
  Der Spiegel | Jul 9, 08 7:45 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Barack Obama will be in Berlin in 2 weeks, and his campaign wants to stage a major speech at the Brandenburg Gate, the most famous symbol of German reunification. Berlin's mayor is keen on the idea, reports Der Spiegel , saying yesterday that he'd love Obama to address the public there. But Angela Merkel's office is opposed to letting a candidate, not an elected president, speak at the site. More »
- Oh Napoleon: Tiny Leaders Rule G8
  
  ABC News | Jul 6, 08 1:47 CDT
  
  (Newser) - The leaders at this week's G8 summit are all political big shots, but they're pretty diminutive face-to-face—five don't even make it past 5'6''. Russia's Dmitry Medvedev brings up the short end of the stick at 5'2'', and Canada's Stephen Harper is the only one to pass the 6' mark. But luckily for the G8, reports ABC News, the Napoleon complex is just a myth. More »
May 2008
- Germany Pledges Billions for Rainforest Protection
  
  Der Spiegel | May 28, 08 2:33 CDT
  
  (Newser) - Germany will spend billions of euros protecting tropical rainforests in an effort to halt global warming. Chancellor Angela Merkel said today at the United Nations' biodiversity conference that Germany will increase its funding for the conservation of rainforests from $330 million to $1.1 billion in the next three years and an additional $785 million per year after that. More »
- Chavez Ties Merkel to Hitler
  
  Reuters | May 12, 08 10:26 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Hugo Chavez fired back at Angela Merkel after the German leader suggested Latin American countries should be wary of ties to Venezuela. "She is from the German right," he said yesterday, "the same that supported Hitler, that supported fascism, that's the Chancellor of Germany." More »
March 2008
- German Press Criticizes Merkel's Palestinian Snub
  
  Der Spiegel | Mar 19, 08 3:39 CDT
  
  (Newser) - The German press is praising Chancellor Angela Merkel’s historic visit to Israel and her diplomatic handling of the two countries' shared history, Der Spiegel reports. But Merkel has also been chastised by commentators who feel her focus on German-Israeli unity in remarks yesterday to Israel's parliament gives the impression of a German bias against the Palestinians. More »
- Merkel Addresses Knesset
  
  Reuters | Mar 18, 08 4:40 CDT
  
  (Newser) - Angela Merkel addressed the Knesset today, speaking to Israel's parliament about Germany's shame over the Holocaust. "I bow to the victims. I bow to all those who helped the survivors," said the chancellor. Five MPs boycotted to protest the speaking of German in the legislative chamber, but Merkel began and ended her address by speaking Hebrew, Reuters reports. More »
- Merkel Holds Cabinet Meeting in Jerusalem
  
  Times (UK) | Mar 17, 08 6:18 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - When Angela Merkel holds her weekly cabinet meeting today, it will meet not in Berlin but in Jerusalem—a special gesture to mark the 60th anniversary of Israeli statehood. Only a few decades ago Israelis marched in protest when the country welcomed its first German ambassador, but now the chancellor will become the first foreign head of government ever to address the Knesset. The Times of London reports on the remarkable evolution of relations between the two nations. More »
- Merkel Crushes Sarkozy's Plans for 'Club Med'
  
  Guardian (UK) | Mar 14, 08 11:59 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Nicolas Sarkozy has been forced to abandon his proposal for what detractors have called a French-led Club Med—a Mediterranean Union of southern European, Middle Eastern, and North African states—under fierce opposition from Germany. Angela Merkel has been a consistent opponent of the scheme, and she threatened a boycott of a Paris summit, says the Guardian . The incident is only the latest clash between Sarkozy and Merkel, signaling a low point in French-German relations. More »
February 2008
- Paris-Berlin Relations Turn Sour
  
  AFP | Feb 27, 08 10:08 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Only a week after Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel called off a scheduled meeting, France and Germany's finance ministers canceled their own summit yesterday, reports AFP. While nobody wants to say that the leaders of Europe's two largest countries are getting testy with each other, disagreements over economic policy and the EU's role have led to markedly tense relations. More »
- Germany Balks at US Request for Troop Help
  
  Der Spiegel | Feb 1, 08 5:47 CST
  
  (Newser) - Germany has rejected a request from US defense secretary Robert Gates for more troops to fight the Taliban insurgency in southern Afghanistan, Der Spiegel reports. German defense minister Franz Josef Jung prefers his troops remain in the country's north, in accordance with Germany's Afghanistan mandate—which says troops will only head south to aid allies in emergencies. More »
January 2008
- Both Parties Claim Victory in Key German Election
  
  Financial Times (UK) | Jan 29, 08 2:01 CST
  
  (Newser) - Two days after an ugly campaign in the German state of Hesse ended with voting for a new premier, both sides are claiming victory in the bellwether contest. Roland Koch, the hard-right incumbent and the CDU's de facto No. 2, obtained only a 0.1% majority—a dismal performance for a man often mentioned as a future chancellor. His xenophobic campaign backfired badly, writes the Financial Times . More »
- Immigrants Fire Back at Xenophobic Campaign*
  
  Der Spiegel | Jan 10, 08 11:57 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Germany’s immigrants are fed up with Roland Koch, whose bid for reelection as governor of the state of Hesse is exacerbating racial tensions, Der Spiegel reports. Koch seized upon a December subway beating to blast "criminal young foreigners," and the rhetoric quickly escalated to anti-immigrant rant, portraying them as barely civilized brutes. A coalition of more than 100 immigrant groups has responded with an angry open letter. More »
- Merkel Trades Compromise For Hard Line
  
  Der Spiegel | Jan 8, 08 4:04 CST
  
  (Newser) - Ahead of a regional election later this month, Angela Merkel has left behind the conciliatory tone of her first 2 years and come out swinging. The German chancellor gave her strongest backing to the minister-president of Hesse, who is running for reelection on a harsh anti-immigrant platform. In an interview with Der Spiegel, Merkel supported her colleague's proposal to introduce boot camps for "criminal young foreigners." More »
December 2007
- Merkel, Sarko Keep Heat on Iran
  
  Deutsche Welle (Germany) | Dec 7, 07 7:53 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Angela Merkel joined Nicolas Sarkozy yesterday in reaffirming their hard line on Iran's nuclear program despite the new American intelligence assessment that weapons development was halted in 2003. "I don't see why we should renounce sanctions," said the French president at a joint press conference in Paris, with the German chancellor adding that there are still "gaps" in Iran's cooperation. More »
November 2007
- Merkel's Grand Coalition Hits a Rocky Patch
  
  Der Spiegel | Nov 22, 07 9:56 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - On the second anniversary of her taking office, the German media reports on new troubles for Angela Merkel's increasingly fractious grand coalition, which has two years to go but seems unlikely to push through the difficult reforms the chancellor promised. With last week's resignation of Franz Müntefering, the government's No. 2, Merkel has lost her closest partner from the other side of the aisle, and cooperation is giving way to squabbling. More »
September 2007
- Sarkozy-Merkel, Les Meilleurs Ennemis
  
  Der Spiegel | Sep 11, 07 11:53 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Nicolas Sarkozy traveled to Berlin yesterday, but Der Spiegel reports that the famed Franco-German alliance at the heart of Europe is under strain. Sarkozy has annoyed Angela Merkel with everything from the EU Reform Treaty to his wife's Libyan exploits. But Merkel is hardly an amie : from energy to finance, the German leader is getting on his nerves. More »
August 2007
- After Two Years, Merkel's Still Honeymooning
  
  Der Spiegel | Aug 22, 07 5:12 CDT
  
  (Newser) - Better than halfway through her first term as Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel is more popular than ever, Der Spiegel reports, with an impressive 76% approval rating. Her hardworking image has gotten boosts from solid diplomacy and good domestic luck, with reforms put in place by the previous government now paying dividends and keeping political rivals at bay. More »
July 2007
- Sarkozy and Merkel Face Off
  
  Der Spiegel | Jul 16, 07 6:02 CDT
  
  (Newser) - French president Nicolas Sarkozy is stepping up to challenge German chancellor Angela Merkel for the leadership of Europe, Der Spiegel reports, and the result will be first-rate political spectacle. The two alpha heads of state, who met today in Toulouse, have very different styles: Merkel is restrained and accute; Sarkozy pugnacious and hyperactive. More »