Germany's voters indifferent to climate issues
Climate activists fear the worst when Germany's conservatives and Social Democrats begin to thrash out a joint climate policy for their future coalition government. A country once seen as a beacon of progressive climate policy is poised for a significant reset, with the conservatives – having in part blamed Germany's ambitious green goals for chronic economic weakness – keen to roll back targets and policies amid rising voter apathy on climate.
As Europe's largest emitter of CO2 but also Europe's biggest generator of renewable energy, Germany's future stance on climate issues will be even more critical after the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and with the European Union under pressure from some members to ease regulations and goals, according to Reuters. Since winning February's election, the CDU has affirmed its commitment to Germany's overarching 2045 target of being climate neutral but emphasises a 'pragmatic approach that supports the economy, industry, and public acceptance', according to Andreas Jung, the conservatives' climate policy spokesperson. The party wants to abolish a future ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, end restrictions on the use of cars, reverse a law phasing out fossil fuel heating, and reintroduce diesel subsidies in agriculture.
How strongly the SPD will defend its green election pledges – to stick to national and EU targets, invest in green infrastructure and renewables, and focus on affordable climate protection – in coalition talks is key, climate activists say. Greenhouse gas emissions in Germany fell by 12.5% under the three-party 'traffic light' coalition of the SPD, Greens, and Free Democrats, thanks to a renewable energy push and a drop in industrial production. But emissions cuts in sectors such as transport and building – 38% of Germany's 2024 total emissions – have stalled. Expanding net-zero policies to these sectors has faced growing resistance in Germany and Europe, amid a cost-of-living crisis that has shifted climate protection lower on German voters' priorities in the February election. Only 12.8% of Germans saw climate protection as the most important issue in this election, down from 24.4% in 2021, a study by IW Koeln economic institute showed, adds the Reuters report. Environmental and expert groups say Germany is not expected to meet the 2045 target as things stand. The Green Party, heading for opposition, still wields some influence, after threatening to tie its support for a new conservative-SPD financial package to the inclusion of some climate investment commitments within that plan. Germany cannot unilaterally reverse EU laws, but its influence is strong. The centre-right European People's Party (EPP), the largest group at the European parliament and which includes Germany's conservatives, launched a campaign in December to weaken the bloc's climate rules.
At a recent EPP retreat in Berlin, conservative leader and Germany's likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz signed a declaration calling on the EU to abandon its renewable energy goals, a step backed by industry. The European emissions trading system (ETS), extending to the transport and buildings sectors from 2027, is expected to increase prices and make heating or powering vehicles with fossil fuels less appealing. But if prices rise too much that creates a crisis of affordability. Germany must annually invest about 3% of its GDP in climate protection measures like power grid upgrades, industry electrification and public transport expansion, to meet its 2045 climate neutrality goal, says Berlin-based think tank Agora. The conservatives and SPD this week agreed to create a 500-billion euro infrastructure fund and overhaul borrowing rules but dedicated climate investments are not included in the fund.
The chance of sluggish climate action under a future conservative-led government is likely to spark more legal battles and direct action activism, which surged in Germany, despite the greener SPD-led government. Roadblocks, airport protests, and demonstrations at oil installations captured national attention and triggered a government crackdown and there are already three climate-related constitutional complaints pending before Germany's top court.
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Gulf Today
9 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Gaza relief distribution remains suspended as bombings continue
Medics in Gaza said 55 people in total were killed in Israeli airstrikes across the enclave on Saturday. At least 15 Palestinians were killed and 50 wounded by airstrikes in the Gaza City district of Sabra in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday, local health authorities said. More than one missile landed in the area. The target seemed to have been a multi-floor residential building, but the explosion damaged several other houses nearby, according to witnesses and media. Israel has warned people to evacuate the nearby district of Jabalia, saying it was going to strike there after rockets were launched by militants in the vicinity. Smoke rises from Gaza after an explosion on Saturday. Reuters The Israeli military said it had uncovered 'an underground tunnel route, including a command and control center from which senior Hamas commanders' operated beneath the European Hospital compound in southern Gaza. It added that it had located several bodies of militants whose identities were 'under examination.' The Israeli government and military said last month it had killed Mohammad Sinwar, Hamas' Gaza chief, but Hamas did not confirm his death. AID GROUP : The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the US- and Israeli-backed aid group, said on Saturday it was unable to distribute assistance to Palestinian civilians, blaming threats by Hamas, which Gaza's dominant group denied. Displaced Palestinians carrying their belongings in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip on Saturday. AP Aid distribution was halted on Friday after the GHF said overcrowding had made it unsafe to continue operations. The GHF, which has been fiercely criticised by humanitarian organisations for alleged lack of neutrality, said it was unable to distribute any humanitarian aid on Saturday because Hamas had issued 'direct threats' against its operations. 'These threats made it impossible to proceed today without putting innocent lives at risk,' the GHF said in a statement in which it also said it intended to resume aid distribution 'without delay'. A Hamas official told Reuters he had no knowledge of such 'alleged threats'. An APC maneuvers on the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border on Saturday. Reuters On Wednesday, the GHF suspended operations and asked the Israeli military to review security protocols after Palestinian hospital officials said more than 80 people had been shot dead and hundreds wounded near distribution points between June 1-3. Eyewitnesses blamed Israeli soldiers for the killings. The Israeli military said it fired warning shots on two days, while on Tuesday it said soldiers had fired at Palestinian 'suspects' who were advancing towards their positions. The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Saturday that Gaza's hospitals only had fuel for three more days and that Israel was denying access for international relief agencies to areas where fuel storages designated for hospitals are located. There was no immediate response from the Israeli military or COGAT, the Israeli defence agency that coordinates humanitarian matters with the Palestinians. ISRAELI HOSTAGE : The Israeli military has retrieved the body of a Thai hostage who had been held in Gaza since Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Saturday, as Nattapong Pinta's body was held by a Palestinian group called the Mujahedeen Brigades, and was recovered from the area of Rafah in southern Gaza, Katz said. His family in Thailand has been notified. Palestinians inspect the damage at the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Gaza on Saturday. Reuters Pinta, an agricultural worker, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, a small Israeli community near the Gaza border where a quarter of the population was killed or taken hostage during the Hamas attack that triggered the devastating war in Gaza. Israel's military said Pinta had been abducted alive and killed by his captors, who had also killed and taken to Gaza the bodies of two more Israeli-American hostages that were retrieved earlier this week. There was no immediate comment from the Mujahedeen Brigades, who have previously denied killing their captives, or from Hamas. The Israeli military said the Brigades were still holding the body of another foreign national. Only 20 of the 55 remaining hostages are believed to still be alive. ROME PROTEST: Hundreds of thousands of people marched through the streets of Rome on Saturday to protest the war in Gaza, in a rally called by opposition parties denouncing the government's alleged 'complicity' in the conflict. Protestors hold placards as they join a demonstration called by Italian opposition parties in support of Palestinians in Gaza, in Rome on Saturday. AFP 'Stop the massacre, stop complicity!' read a wide banner held by protestors at the start of the march, amid a sea of red, white and green Palestinian flags, peace flags and 'Free Palestine' signs. The peaceful protest attracted a massive crowd estimated by organisers at 300,000 people. Police later said those estimates were 'largely confirmed', according to Italian news agency AGI. AID SHIP : An aid ship with 12 activists on board, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, is nearing Gaza, having reached the Egyptian coast, organisers said on Saturday. Agencies
The National
13 hours ago
- The National
Trump has little to show on Ukraine and Iran
It's been a tough month for US President Donald Trump, who wants to continue believing that no one matches his stature. In his view, God spared his life after an assassination attempt so that he could 'Make America Great Again'. His foreign policy achievements during his historic visit to the Gulf Arab states are undeniable but his failures on Ukraine and Iran now weigh heavily on him before the G7 Summit (June 15–17) and Nato Summit (June 24–25). Mr Trump abhors weakness – especially the appearance of it in front of friends-adversaries. He and his team appear to be making mistakes yet pretending all is well. They're claiming things are even improving, which only compounds the crisis. The US–Iran talks have become a barometer for the Trump administration's disarray and internal divisions. More troubling, however, is the failure to grasp – or the deliberate dismissal of – the consequences of the President's positions and those of his de facto personal foreign minister, envoy Steve Witkoff, who now wields extraordinary powers. From the thorny Ukraine file to developments in tiny Lebanon – caught in the crosshairs of Iran and Israel – US policy appears scattered. Mr Trump's first official meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz passed smoothly, both men eager to move past prior disputes, though no unified policies emerged on the conflict on Europe's eastern doorstep. They discussed defence, trade, Nord Stream 2, relations with China, US tariff threats to Europe, migration, and, of course, Russia and Ukraine. They tackled Nato defence spending and how best to handle tariffs. Yet, it is the Ukraine crisis that will primarily shape the future of Mr Trump's relations with Nato allies and the G7. It's not enough for Europeans – especially Germany, now positioning itself to lead Europe again – that the US President expresses sympathy with phrases like 'the situation in Ukraine is very sad'. That is sentiment, not policy. Mr Merz wanted details about the 75-minute call between Mr Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that occurred the day before the Trump–Merz meeting. We know Mr Putin vowed retaliation for a recent Ukrainian strike that destroyed a third of Russia's strategic bombers, but what comes next and where does the Trump administration really stand? In essence, Mr Merz appeared to have put to have put pressure on Mr Trump during their White House meeting. Mr Trump didn't treat him like he has others – particularly Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom Mr Trump had publicly scolded and mocked in a brazen breach of diplomatic decorum. Mr Merz's professionalism eclipsed Mr Trump's theatrics, including blaming the invasion of Ukraine on his predecessor, Joe Biden. The US President called Mr Merz 'a tough guy, but a good one,' amid broad smiles between two men fully aware of the depth of the transatlantic rift and the urgent need to halt its deterioration. Indeed, Mr Merz is no pushover. Germany's bid to reclaim leadership in Europe is not something that can be mocked by Mr Trump and his team, especially as they attempt to reweave transatlantic ties not just with Russia in mind, but increasingly with China. Notably, there was no indication that Mr Trump and Mr Merz discussed Iran, even though Germany is a member of the P5+1 group of countries that brokered the Iran nuclear deal under former US President Barack Obama. The G7 Summit – comprising the US, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Canada, Japan, and the EU – will take place mid-June in Alberta, Canada. Dominating the agenda will be the Ukraine war, relations with Russia, and the various European strategies for engaging with China amid an ongoing tariff war. As of now, Mr Trump has little to show for at the summit to claim success or fulfil his promise to end the war in Ukraine. His team is trying to strike Ukraine from the G7 agenda, but to no avail. European leaders are headed to Alberta buoyed by renewed self-confidence. They will arrive in Alberta armed with political options in response to Mr Trump's tariff threats, including talks with China over a potential free trade agreement. Should such a deal materialise, it would be a blow to Mr Trump. But the fear remains that Mr Trump's reactions could become deliberately erratic and unpredictable. European leaders are factoring this into their calculations. No one wants a rupture in transatlantic relations. After all, Europe recognises the need to preserve its strategic relationship with the US, regardless of who sits in the Oval Office. America is still the anchor, and Europe knows it is the junior partner. Europe's growing strength is, in part, the result of Mr Trump's own weak leverage. That will become even more evident at the Nato Summit in The Hague. Mr Trump may succeed in extracting more defence spending from Nato allies. But his grandstanding and bigger threats could backfire – and cost him dearly if acted upon. Europe's growing strength is, in part, the result of Mr Trump's own weak leverage Europe will fiercely resist any American tampering with Nato's core guarantees, especially Article 5, which obligates mutual defence among the member states if any one of them is attacked. But if Mr Trump follows through on his threat to withdraw 20,000 US troops from Nato, he will weaken not just himself, but the US. Between now and the Nato Summit, the Ukraine war continues to escalate. Mr Trump will arrive at both the G7 and Nato summits empty-handed and deflated. As for Iran, the picture is no brighter. But before diving into the Iran issue, we must pause at Mr Trump's very public clash with billionaire Elon Musk. This isn't just a personal feud; it signals a fundamental rift on economic policy. Even if Mr Musk triggered the spat, the result reinforces Mr Trump's reputation for using people and discarding them. It leaves those around him on edge, afraid to be next. Back to Iran — and how it is tying the US President's hands ahead of both summits. This is not just due to internal rifts within Mr Trump's team over the terms and outlook of negotiations with Iran, but also because Mr Trump faces a major credibility crisis. The fear of his deadlines has eroded, replaced by confidence that Mr Trump will back down. The continuation of negotiations with Iran is essential for Mr Trump. Indeed, he and his team believe a military confrontation with Iran, triggered by a missed deadline, is a gamble that could endanger his political future. Hence, it is unlikely that Mr Trump will enforce his ultimatums or issue new ones with the seriousness of a real deadline. Instead, he is likely to allow Iran to buy time despite having denounced its stalling as intolerable and costly. Mr Trump's political prestige has somewhat faded, and he may no longer inspire the same fear, including in Iran's decision-makers. This shift has had profound consequences, both inside Iran and among its regional proxies – chiefly Hezbollah in Lebanon. The political assertiveness displayed by Tehran's leadership and Hezbollah is rooted in the assessment that Mr Trump will neither strike Iran nor allow Israel to strike its nuclear facilities. Rather, he will concede to Iran's red lines of no discussion of ballistic missiles and no compromise on its proxy doctrine – currently on display in Iran's foreign policy on Syria and Lebanon. The Trump administration's missteps are consequential. Tehran's rhetoric now focuses less on destroying the 'Zionist entity' and more on protesting Israel's racial policies. Iranian officials even admit that the ongoing negotiations are, behind the scenes, also with Israel – not just America. The entire Middle East hopes for the negotiations to succeed, but not if success means the continued use by both Iran and Israel of some Arab countries – especially Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq – as proxy battlefields to avoid a direct war. Indeed, neither Israel has any good faith towards Lebanon nor is Iran willing to use Hezbollah for its aims. Both powers trample on Lebanese sovereignty in tacit co-ordination not far from Mr Trump's earshot. While Mr Trump is buying and selling time to Iran to protect his political standing, his envoy-turned-substitute-foreign-minister Steve Witkoff has pulled Morgan Ortagus from her role overseeing implementation of the Lebanon–Israel ceasefire deal – one Mr Trump himself had helped the Biden team achieve. Whether Ms Ortagus stays or goes is less important than the fact that no replacement has been named, which raises concerns about the Trump team's short-sightedness – or worse, a more dangerous hidden agenda. Lebanon's three executive leaders – President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri – must stop stalling on disarming Hezbollah. One day they hide behind the facade of 'dialogue,' which only emboldens Hezbollah. Another, they cite fear of blatant Hezbollah threats. Yet another, they say Washington has failed to pressure Israel to honour its own commitments under the ceasefire, without which Lebanon cannot proceed with disarmament. Something smells fishy and Mr Trump's entourage of billionaires and cronies remains oblivious to the dangers of Iran's negotiation tactics and Israel's duplicity, which is fuelling more violence and rash decisions from its leaders. Everyone is holding everyone at gunpoint: Iran with the US President, preparing to retaliate for any Israeli strike by emulating Ukraine's model of launching hundreds of drones in one wave. Even if 90 per cent are intercepted, that appears to be acceptable – as long as some hit Israel and Mr Trump takes the blame. Israel's government, too, is holding the US President at gunpoint, preparing to take on Iran's nuclear threat alone – making Mr Trump look weak and indecisive. Together, Iran and Israel are holding Lebanon at gunpoint using it as their battlefield of choice to destroy each other but unable to finish the job – while the Lebanese people pay the price. The upcoming G7 and Nato summits have Mr Trump over a barrel – not just due to the European awakening from political slumber, but because his erratic style has left him exposed. His threats no longer carry the same weight. 'No one knows what Donald Trump will do,' his supporters say with admiration. But surprise isn't a strategy. And unpredictability is not a hallmark of political wisdom.
Gulf Today
14 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Weekly jobless claims hit 7-month high; imports post record decline
The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits increased to a seven-month high last week, pointing to softening labour market conditions amid mounting economic headwinds from tariffs. The report from the labour Department also continued to show workers losing their jobs having a tough time landing new opportunities as uncertainty caused by President Donald Trump's aggressive trade policy leaves employers reluctant to increase headcount. The data included the Memorial Day holiday, which economists said could have caused difficulties with the seasonal adjustment and likely contributed to the second straight weekly increase in unemployment claims. Still, they said the report offered some evidence of labour market strains. 'We won't dismiss the rise in claims over the last two weeks, which may be signaling weakening labour market conditions in response to the Trump administration's tariff policies and uncertainty,' said Nancy Vanden Houten, lead US economist at Oxford Economics. 'However, seasonal quirks might have contributed to the rise in claims.' Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 247,000 for the week ended May 31, the highest level since last October. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 235,000 claims for the latest week. With the start of the school holidays this month, claims could remain elevated as some states allow non-teaching staff to collect benefits. There were notable rises in unadjusted claims in Kentucky and Tennessee, likely related to layoffs in the motor vehicle industry amid duties on imported parts. Claims surged in the prior week in Michigan, attributed to layoffs in the manufacturing industry. But companies are generally hoarding workers after struggling to find labour during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federal Reserve's Beige Book report on Wednesday showed 'comments about uncertainty delaying hiring were widespread,' noting that 'all districts described lower labour demand, citing declining hours worked and overtime, hiring pauses and staff reduction plans.' It said while some districts reported layoffs in certain sectors, 'these layoffs were not pervasive.' Stocks on Wall Street were higher. The dollar was steady against a basket of currencies. US Treasury yields rose. The number of people receiving benefits after an initial week of aid, a proxy for hiring, slipped 3,000 to a seasonally adjusted 1.904 million during the week ending May 24, the claims report showed. The elevation in the so-called continuing claims aligns with consumers' ebbing confidence in the labour market. SLACKENING labour MARKET The claims data have no bearing on the labour Department's closely watched employment report for May, scheduled to be released on Friday, as it falls outside the survey period. Nonfarm payrolls likely increased by 130,000 jobs last month after advancing by 177,000 in April, a Reuters survey of economists showed. The unemployment rate is forecast being unchanged at 4.2%. 'A gradual but genuine slackening of the labour market is underway,' said Oliver Allen, senior US economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. There was, however, some welcome news on the economy. A separate report from the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis showed the trade deficit narrowed sharply in April, with imports decreasing by the most on record as the front-running of goods ahead of tariffs ebbed, which could provide a lift to economic growth this quarter. The trade gap contracted by a record 55.5% to $61.6 billion, the lowest level since September 2023. The goods trade deficit eased by a record 46.2% to $87.4 billion, the lowest level since October 2023. A rush to beat import duties helped to widen the trade deficit in the first quarter, which accounted for a large part of the 0.2% annualized rate of decline in gross domestic product last quarter. The contraction in the deficit, at face value, suggests that trade could significantly add to GDP this quarter, but much would depend on the state of inventories. 'The collapse in the trade gap, although unlikely to be sustained, points to a massive trade addition to GDP growth and, if the offset to the import swing is not measured in inventories, second-quarter measured GDP growth could be eye-popping, possibly in the area of 5%, but as meaningless as the first-quarter's decline in output,' said Conrad DeQuadros, senior economic advisor at Brean Capital. Imports decreased by a record 16.3% to $351.0 billion in April. Goods imports slumped by a record 19.9% to $277.9 billion, held down by a $33.0 billion decline in consumer goods, mostly pharmaceutical preparations from Ireland. Agencies
