Senior German conservative casts doubt on €15 minimum wage by 2026
A top German conservative has cast doubt on whether a €15 ($16.50) hourly minimum wage can be achieved by 2026, just one day after the target was outlined in a coalition agreement.
Jens Spahn, the deputy parliamentary leader for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), told broadcaster RTL/ntv on Thursday that it was "unlikely" Germany "will see enough growth and wage progression" for the target to be met by next year.
The CDU presented its coalition deal with the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union (CSU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) on Wednesday, with the 144-page document stating that a €15 minimum wage - up from the current €12.82 - was "achievable" in 2026.
Germany's Minimum Wage Commission is responsible for setting the figure, but the coalition agreement seeks to tweak the rules for the commission's calculations, aiming to tie the minimum wage to 60% of median pay.
Spahn reiterated that the coalition will not set a statutory €15 minimum, but that the figure "would develop along with general wages in Germany."
The former health minister is expected to hold a senior position in the new government but refused to be drawn into speculation on his future role.
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Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
They call it ‘Merzcron': The EU's Franco-German engine is powering up once again
The clasped hands of French and German leaders have long embodied the spirit of European unity – most famously in 1984, when François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl stood hand-in-hand at Verdun in a symbol of reconciliation. So, when Chancellor Friedrich Merz grasped President Emmanuel Macron's hand on the steps of the Élysée palace in early May – a handshake that was long, warm, and accompanied by backslapping – it wasn't just a photo-op. It was the clearest sign yet that Europe's most important alliance was back in motion. After years of sputtering and frustration under Olaf Scholz, the Franco-German engine is humming again, and it has a new name: Merzcron. Since Merz's election, the two have met six times – most recently with other NATO leaders at The Hague. They will sit down together again on Thursday at the European Council meeting in Brussels. Their shared agenda: to drive the European Union response on security, Ukraine and Trump-era uncertainties, and shape Europe's role on the global stage. Ahead of Wednesday's NATO summit, Macron and Merz laid out their vision in a joint opinion piece in the Financial Times. 'In these testing times, Germany and France - together with our European and transatlantic friends and allies - stand united and strong, to defend our common values as well as the freedom and security of our citizens,' they wrote. They outlined plans to boost defense spending – aiming to reach 3.5% of GDP in core military investments – and to deepen cooperation between NATO and the EU, calling for a stronger, more sovereign Europe that is no longer reliant on others for its security. They pledged to ensure Ukraine emerges 'prosperous, robust and secure,' and warned that European stability for decades to come hangs in the balance. The signs are that the powerful 'Mercron' or 'Merkozy' alliance, portmanteaus derived from the names of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Macron and his predecessor Nicholas Sarkozy, is evolving into an equally influential 'Merzcron.' The two-day European Council summit now underway in Brussels, hot on the heels of a G7 meeting in Canada and the NATO leaders' summit in The Hague, is the first of Merz's chancellorship. It will likely be another demonstration of how strong this union could be. CNN spoke to two stalwarts of the Franco-German partnership – former French President Francois Hollande, who worked closely with Merkel, and Wolfgang Ischinger, a former German deputy secretary of state once described as Europe's most connected former diplomat – to assess its significance for Europe and the world. Under Scholz, the former German chancellor, the Berlin-Paris axis became strained, something that both Ischinger and Hollande noted. Stefan Seidendorf, director at the Franco-German Institute in Ludwigsburg, Germany, said Scholz spent so much time doing 'domestic homework' that he was never able to fully focus on Europe. The three-way coalition he headed was beset with infighting on domestic and Europe issues and eventually collapsed in November last year, triggering an early election. However, there were also some interpersonal issues at play. 'It was difficult for Macron to get along with this very Protestant, northern German, not very emotional, not into the big symbols of political leadership,' Siedendorf told CNN in a phone interview. He added that the same went for Scholz, 'who found it difficult to get along with this French president living in the palace of Élysée with all the gold and the glitter and the ceremony.' But neither was Macron and Merz's friendship a given, considering their different styles. Macron, 47, is Jupiterian and theatrical, hailed by some as a visionary, dismissed by others as a narcissist. Merz, 69, is impulsive, prickly under pressure and occasionally leans into populist bluster. That said, Ischinger said both leaders 'met rather easily – and got their act together.' Speaking about their shared character traits, he said they 'love interaction. They enjoy difficult questions. These two have a way of understanding each other – they are open.' The clearest display of 'Merzcron' in action has been around support for Ukraine. Hollande told CNN the duo had already been 'effective' on the issue. Their recent trip to Kyiv, alongside British and Polish leaders Keir Starmer and Donald Tusk, 'was a symbol of a new kind of determined getting-together of the major European powers to make progress,' Ischinger said. Paris has long been more hawkish than Berlin on its support for Ukraine. Macron has been a strong proponent of boots on the ground in the country and has allowed Ukraine to fire French-made long-range missiles deep into Russia. However, Hollande said, 'we've seen that Merz's position is a bit different from that of his predecessor… including on the delivery of missiles capable of reaching Russian territory.' Since taking office, Merz has welcomed Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky to Berlin and unveiled a new $5 billion package for Ukraine that includes joint co-operation in the development of long-range missiles capable of being fired deep into Russia, some of which could be online by the end of the year. 'Now we're in perfect unity,' Ischinger said of the Franco-German alignment on Ukraine. Russia's unease over a more coordinated Franco-German approach to Ukraine is already starting to show. News of last month's visit to Kyiv by Merz and Macron was accompanied by the release of a photo taken ahead of a meeting between them. Sitting on the table was a white tissue. Its presence sparked an online rumor, amplified by Kremlin officials and later traced back to pro-Russian accounts, that falsely claimed the crumpled tissue – which Macron picked up and pocketed – was a cocaine bag. The Élysée countered by saying 'when European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs. This fake news is being spread by France's enemies, both abroad and at home.' US President Donald Trump's return to the White House has also forced a new alignment between the European powerhouses, particularly on the issue of Europe's security. The Trump administration's insistence that Europe should do more to defend itself triggered the shift, Hollande explained, saying that it 'forced France and Germany to work together diplomatically and militarily, whereas until then, their main alignment had been on monetary issues. 'Today there is a shared responsibility. Germany must do more for its defense, and France must be willing to share a number of proposals and initiatives – including on defense – with Germany,' Hollande says. Before even formally taking office, Merz managed to push through the reform of Germany's constitutional debt brake to unlock over half a trillion dollars in defense spending. He has also committed to creating Europe's largest army. Both represent a major shift for Germany. Previously, Hollande suggested, those moves might have been difficult for France to stomach. 'We used to be very reluctant about German rearmament. That was a politically sensitive issue after the war. But today, no one in France fears German rearmament –we welcome it,' he said. Macron and Merz also appear to have taken a similar approach to dealing with Trump. Both have had effusive and positive meetings in the Oval Office with a president who has not always been so welcoming to visiting leaders. Paris and Berlin are also trying to revive the decades-old 'Weimar Triangle.' Established after German reunification in 1991, it aimed to bring Poland deeper into the European fold, led by Germany and France. Ischinger feels the relative weight of the European Union has shifted eastwards due to the war in Ukraine, meaning that Warsaw, now more than ever, must now be a vital ally for Paris and Berlin. 'Harmony (between France and Germany) is key, but it's not sufficient,' he said. 'The center of gravity of the good old European Union was somewhere between France and Germany. But today, almost half of the members are to the east of Germany,' he added, and giving Poland more say is the best way to bring the continent together. That shift, too, is already playing out. As well as taking part in the Kyiv trip, Tusk has found himself directly involved in European talks with Trump, as the US president has attempted to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. Poland's status as Europe's fastest growing economy, its commitment to NATO defense spending – way above other member states' at 4.2% of GDP in 2024, projected to rise to 4.7% this year – and its geographic location bordering Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, have made the nation a key nexus for the continent. Nonetheless, for Hollande, 'Europe only moves forward when France and Germany speak with one voice and pull in the same direction. Only then can the European machine function properly.' Ischinger added: 'If Franco-German cooperation works well, you have a perfect precondition to get the entire European Union underway, moving forward.' For now, the 'Merzcron' engine is firing up and, if it keeps its momentum, it could pull the rest of Europe into gear.
CNN
30 minutes ago
- CNN
They call it ‘Merzcron': The EU's Franco-German engine is powering up once again
The clasped hands of French and German leaders have long embodied the spirit of European unity – most famously in 1984, when François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl stood hand-in-hand at Verdun in a symbol of reconciliation. So, when Chancellor Friedrich Merz grasped President Emmanuel Macron's hand on the steps of the Élysée palace in early May – a handshake that was long, warm, and accompanied by backslapping – it wasn't just a photo-op. It was the clearest sign yet that Europe's most important alliance was back in motion. After years of sputtering and frustration under Olaf Scholz, the Franco-German engine is humming again, and it has a new name: Merzcron. Since Merz's election, the two have met six times – most recently with other NATO leaders at The Hague. They will sit down together again on Thursday at the European Council meeting in Brussels. Their shared agenda: to drive the European Union response on security, Ukraine and Trump-era uncertainties, and shape Europe's role on the global stage. Ahead of Wednesday's NATO summit, Macron and Merz laid out their vision in a joint opinion piece in the Financial Times. 'In these testing times, Germany and France - together with our European and transatlantic friends and allies - stand united and strong, to defend our common values as well as the freedom and security of our citizens,' they wrote. They outlined plans to boost defense spending – aiming to reach 3.5% of GDP in core military investments – and to deepen cooperation between NATO and the EU, calling for a stronger, more sovereign Europe that is no longer reliant on others for its security. They pledged to ensure Ukraine emerges 'prosperous, robust and secure,' and warned that European stability for decades to come hangs in the balance. The signs are that the powerful 'Mercron' or 'Merkozy' alliance, portmanteaus derived from the names of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Macron and his predecessor Nicholas Sarkozy, is evolving into an equally influential 'Merzcron.' The two-day European Council summit now underway in Brussels, hot on the heels of a G7 meeting in Canada and the NATO leaders' summit in The Hague, is the first of Merz's chancellorship. It will likely be another demonstration of how strong this union could be. CNN spoke to two stalwarts of the Franco-German partnership – former French President Francois Hollande, who worked closely with Merkel, and Wolfgang Ischinger, a former German deputy secretary of state once described as Europe's most connected former diplomat – to assess its significance for Europe and the world. Under Scholz, the former German chancellor, the Berlin-Paris axis became strained, something that both Ischinger and Hollande noted. Stefan Seidendorf, director at the Franco-German Institute in Ludwigsburg, Germany, said Scholz spent so much time doing 'domestic homework' that he was never able to fully focus on Europe. The three-way coalition he headed was beset with infighting on domestic and Europe issues and eventually collapsed in November last year, triggering an early election. However, there were also some interpersonal issues at play. 'It was difficult for Macron to get along with this very Protestant, northern German, not very emotional, not into the big symbols of political leadership,' Siedendorf told CNN in a phone interview. He added that the same went for Scholz, 'who found it difficult to get along with this French president living in the palace of Élysée with all the gold and the glitter and the ceremony.' But neither was Macron and Merz's friendship a given, considering their different styles. Macron, 47, is Jupiterian and theatrical, hailed by some as a visionary, dismissed by others as a narcissist. Merz, 69, is impulsive, prickly under pressure and occasionally leans into populist bluster. That said, Ischinger said both leaders 'met rather easily – and got their act together.' Speaking about their shared character traits, he said they 'love interaction. They enjoy difficult questions. These two have a way of understanding each other – they are open.' The clearest display of 'Merzcron' in action has been around support for Ukraine. Hollande told CNN the duo had already been 'effective' on the issue. Their recent trip to Kyiv, alongside British and Polish leaders Keir Starmer and Donald Tusk, 'was a symbol of a new kind of determined getting-together of the major European powers to make progress,' Ischinger said. Paris has long been more hawkish than Berlin on its support for Ukraine. Macron has been a strong proponent of boots on the ground in the country and has allowed Ukraine to fire French-made long-range missiles deep into Russia. However, Hollande said, 'we've seen that Merz's position is a bit different from that of his predecessor… including on the delivery of missiles capable of reaching Russian territory.' Since taking office, Merz has welcomed Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky to Berlin and unveiled a new $5 billion package for Ukraine that includes joint co-operation in the development of long-range missiles capable of being fired deep into Russia, some of which could be online by the end of the year. 'Now we're in perfect unity,' Ischinger said of the Franco-German alignment on Ukraine. Russia's unease over a more coordinated Franco-German approach to Ukraine is already starting to show. News of last month's visit to Kyiv by Merz and Macron was accompanied by the release of a photo taken ahead of a meeting between them. Sitting on the table was a white tissue. Its presence sparked an online rumor, amplified by Kremlin officials and later traced back to pro-Russian accounts, that falsely claimed the crumpled tissue – which Macron picked up and pocketed – was a cocaine bag. The Élysée countered by saying 'when European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs. This fake news is being spread by France's enemies, both abroad and at home.' US President Donald Trump's return to the White House has also forced a new alignment between the European powerhouses, particularly on the issue of Europe's security. The Trump administration's insistence that Europe should do more to defend itself triggered the shift, Hollande explained, saying that it 'forced France and Germany to work together diplomatically and militarily, whereas until then, their main alignment had been on monetary issues. 'Today there is a shared responsibility. Germany must do more for its defense, and France must be willing to share a number of proposals and initiatives – including on defense – with Germany,' Hollande says. Before even formally taking office, Merz managed to push through the reform of Germany's constitutional debt brake to unlock over half a trillion dollars in defense spending. He has also committed to creating Europe's largest army. Both represent a major shift for Germany. Previously, Hollande suggested, those moves might have been difficult for France to stomach. 'We used to be very reluctant about German rearmament. That was a politically sensitive issue after the war. But today, no one in France fears German rearmament –we welcome it,' he said. Macron and Merz also appear to have taken a similar approach to dealing with Trump. Both have had effusive and positive meetings in the Oval Office with a president who has not always been so welcoming to visiting leaders. Paris and Berlin are also trying to revive the decades-old 'Weimar Triangle.' Established after German reunification in 1991, it aimed to bring Poland deeper into the European fold, led by Germany and France. Ischinger feels the relative weight of the European Union has shifted eastwards due to the war in Ukraine, meaning that Warsaw, now more than ever, must now be a vital ally for Paris and Berlin. 'Harmony (between France and Germany) is key, but it's not sufficient,' he said. 'The center of gravity of the good old European Union was somewhere between France and Germany. But today, almost half of the members are to the east of Germany,' he added, and giving Poland more say is the best way to bring the continent together. That shift, too, is already playing out. As well as taking part in the Kyiv trip, Tusk has found himself directly involved in European talks with Trump, as the US president has attempted to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. Poland's status as Europe's fastest growing economy, its commitment to NATO defense spending – way above other member states' at 4.2% of GDP in 2024, projected to rise to 4.7% this year – and its geographic location bordering Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, have made the nation a key nexus for the continent. Nonetheless, for Hollande, 'Europe only moves forward when France and Germany speak with one voice and pull in the same direction. Only then can the European machine function properly.' Ischinger added: 'If Franco-German cooperation works well, you have a perfect precondition to get the entire European Union underway, moving forward.' For now, the 'Merzcron' engine is firing up and, if it keeps its momentum, it could pull the rest of Europe into gear.
Forbes
33 minutes ago
- Forbes
Doner Haus: A Kebab Specialist Opens Its Third NYC Location—More To Come
At the opening of Doner Haus in the East Village, crowds form, and now there are 3 of them in NYC. According to founder and CEO Nikolaus von Solodkoff, Doner Haus, his NY City eatery with 3 locations in the East Village on East 14th Street, Astoria and recently opened Bayside, Queens, means Kebab House in German. That's where Solodkoff grew up in a small town of 40 people 'with more cows than people,' he says. Doners are usually served on a plate with rice, fries and salad. In the U.S., he says, doners are often confused with shawarma, gyros, or placed into a wrap with a few toppings. But German and Turkish-style doner begins with marinated meats cooked on a vertical rotisserie and then sliced in thinly-cut ribbons, and placed into hot crispy Turkish pide or flatbread. Solodkoff says this doner version didn't exist in NYC or the U.S. and he saw a clear path to preparing it the way it is done overseas. He says back in his homeland people joke that 'Doner was invented in Turkey but perfected in Germany.' But he came to New York City to work in finance at J.P. Morgan Chase in 2010 at age 25 and lived there for 15 years, and helped launch Embargo, an overseas hospitality restaurant tech firm that garnered over 3,000 clients, where he was COO. Its focus was on loyalty tools, point of sales (POS) integration and data that drove repeat business. Running Two Businesses At Once He's still one of its largest shareholders, but not actively involved. However, he also runs Patron Security, a hedge fund out of Miami, and usually devotes 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to it and then turns his attention to running Doner Haus. Despite Solodkoff's learning a considerable amount about the intricacies about what makes a successful restaurant, he recognized that 'not working inside a restaurant, you miss how chaotic and unforgiving it really is. Things fall apart quickly,' and technology can't solve everything. Why NYC Works For Launching His Restaurant When Covid struck, he moved to Miami, but when he wanted to launch Doner House, he decided that NYC was the perfect place for his eateries because the city 'runs on speed, flavor and value. Doner hits all three.' He maintains an apartment in NYC, making it easier to visit. But No One Said NYC Would Be Easy But savvy to the city's logistics, he notes that 'New York is one of the hardest places in the country to run a restaurant' because permits can take months to be issued, rent and labor costs are high. But he figured 'If the concept can work here, it can work anywhere,' sounding like the lyrics from the Kander and Ebb song 'New York, New York.' When he opened his first outlet in the East Village in 2023, he capitalized it on his own, with, 'No investors. No loans. No SBA support,' so he'd have full control. But his goal from the outset was to build Doner House into a successful franchise operation. Running Lean In developing Doner Haus, he stripped everything away 'that did not serve the core mission.' Hence it offers either no or very limited seating, no servers, no host stand, a small footprint and streamlined menu, operated by a small team. 'The result is a system that runs lean, trains fast and holds up at volume,' he declares. And yet all the meat served is 100% halal, 100% filler-free, 100% gluten-free and 100% organic. The East Village space is 1,000 square feet, including 200 square feet of basement storage space. The Astoria and Bayside both have 2 small outside tables and that's it for seating. After a year, the East Village location generated a $1 million in revenue, proving his concept, and launching him toward franchising. After Doner Haus was sued because of logo infringement, it drew attention to it. Von Solodkoff garnered almost 1,000 franchise inquiries due to the publicity, though he says only about 1 in 100 turns out to be legitimate. It did lead to its first franchise that recently opened in Bayside, Queens. And the third company-owned Doner Haus is due in mid-to-late July in Hell's Kitchen on 9th Avenue and 47th Street. Consumer reaction on Yelp to dining at its original East Village location was rather positive. Maria from NYC wrote that it was 'the best doner in town, very close to German doner and very good for the money.' Wei from Dumont, N.J. liked the original chicken sandwich, fries and special seasoning but thought it should have been layered more and said the service was quick. And Vanessa from NYC liked her doner combo and noted that were only two tables outside, and felt as if it would draw more of a crowd with more seating. 'The beef was the standout,' she said. But when this reporter stopped for chicken doner salad at the 14th Street outpost, he was struck by two things. At a time of shrinking portions, it was huge, and lasted for two meals. But there were only two staff members, with one preparing the food and one serving customers, but when another patron arrived followed by 4 construction workers, service slowed down. Asked about the slow down, Solodkoff says it hires two people to prepare food on weekends, but try their best to keep the line moving weekdays. Solodkoff expects that the growth in kebabs will mirror that of sushi in the U.S. When sushi first entered the U.S., some people were surprised about eating raw fish and now it's become quite popular. Now kebabs have swept through France and the U.K., and Solodkoff expects that the U.S is next. In the next few years, he expects Doner Haus to grow through franchising in places such as Florida, Texas, and Los Angeles, without any more corporate-owned locations. He expects there will be 25 Doner Haus's in the next few years. Asked the keys to its success, he replies, 1) Staying lean and efficient, 2) Training franchisees intensively including on-site training and joining them at their new site, 3) Staying ambitious; 'We'd like to dominate this growing field,' 4) Keeping our royalties of 3% in check.
