Why the German chancellor cannot celebrate his 100 days in office
Most recently, Friedrich Merz was even heavily criticised within his own ranks. Apparently, the Chancellor had not discussed the decision to suspend the export of weapons that Israel could use in the war in Gaza with his sister party, the CSU. The majority of people in Germany are in favour of limiting arms exports to Israel, which the SPD had also spoken out in favour of, but the single-handed decision caused displeasure.
The Left and the Greens criticised Merz's partial ban on arms exports as being "too little, too late" - in view of the suffering of the people in the Gaza Strip.
Now - days after the decision - Friedrich Merz wants to justify it in a TV interview on public broadcaster ARD's Tagesschau programme.
Following fierce criticism from some conservative members of parliament, Merz's foreign policy adviser Günter Sautter was also due to hold a video call with CDU and CSU foreign policy experts this Sunday in order to calm the waters. Friedrich Merz is not only Federal Chancellor, but has also been Chairman of the CDU since 2022.
Only 28 % satisfied with the government in recent poll
The polls do not look good for the black-red coalition. According to the ARD Deutschlandtrend , 69 per cent of respondents in Germany are dissatisfied with the work of the federal government. Only 28 per cent are satisfied in the Infratest-Dimap survey.
This is hardly surprising to seasoned pundits: a majority of Germans (61%) do not consider the new chancellor's communication style to be convincing, with only 34% viewing it positively. In addition, only 26% cent of respondents believe that Merz is someone who can be trusted.
The summer break in Berlin had already officially begun when the federal government launched more than 20 bills at its meeting on 6 August: from the pension package to new regulations on small savings, on gas prices and on the Germany Ticket for rail and other public transport.
Not focussing enough on people's concerns?
The coalition dispute over the appointment of new judges to the Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe has stirred up the political scene in Berlin. The failure of CDU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn to keep his own ranks together raised doubts about his suitability for the post. According to reports, the criticism of the SPD's proposed judge Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf was also orchestrated by right-wing populist circles on social media.
Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer now wants to ban gendering (i.e. asterisks or other special characters for female persons) not only in his ministry, but also in public broadcasting. This has not only been criticised by the media; many in Germany consider the policy of paternalism to be a concept of the past.
In times of Donald Trump's punitive tariffs, people are worried about the economy in Germany and their personal financial situation. The positive effects of the announced massive investments in infrastructure and digitalisation have yet to materialise. It's not only the construction work at Deutsche Bahn that is taking years, seems to be the general impression.
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Euronews
an hour ago
- Euronews
European leaders hope to sway Trump on Ukraine during virtual meeting
European leaders will on Wednesday use a virtual meeting with Donald Trump to try to ensure the US president truly understands what is at stake for the continent before he meets Vladimir Putin later this week, but experts are doubtful they will succeed. Trump and his vice-president, JD Vance, will join a meeting convened by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the early afternoon (central European time) that will also include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the leaders of Finland, France, Italy, Poland, the UK, the NATO Secretary-General and the chiefs of the European Commission and Council. Merz, France's Emmanuel Macron and British premier Keir Starmer will then chair a meeting of the so-called coalition of the willing, scheduled to start at around 16:30 CET, according to media reports. "We welcome the efforts of President Trump to reach peace for Ukraine, a peace that is just and lasting and respects sovereignty and territorial integrity. And in this sense, we are working with Ukraine to make sure that this is kept in mind in the meeting on Friday," a spokesperson for the European Commission told reporters on Tuesday. "What we're doing now is reiterating our views on what a just and lasting peace for Ukraine should be and that any decision on Ukraine can be taken with Ukraine at the table," Arianna Podestà added. Europe seen by Trump and Putin 'as largely irrelevant' Zelenskyy is not expected to attend the summit to be held in Alaska on 15 August between the US and Russian presidents. Trump told reporters on Monday that "out of respect I'll call him first" after the talks wrap up. The announcement last week that a summit would be held has led to a flurry of diplomatic contact in Europe over fears Ukraine and the wider continent's interests will be trampled on in a bid for a quick deal. EU leaders - bar Hungary - reiterated in a joint statement on Tuesday that no deal can be made without Ukraine at the table. They also wrote that "international borders must not be changed by force", thereby rejecting Putin's ceasefire proposal to trade the Ukrainian territories of Donetsk and Luhansk. "Unable to bring much to the negotiations, European leaders have been relegated to the margins with the EU seen by Trump and Putin as largely irrelevant," Dr Neil Melvin, Director of International Security at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), told Euronews. "European leaders are able to inform Trump of their ideas, and the US will brief them on the summit outcomes, but Europe is in the position that the Ukraine conflict outcomes are being negotiated over its head and the continent's leadership is essentially an observer," he added. The call with Trump and Vance is a last-ditch attempt before the summit to get that point across before the Arctic meet-up. Trump treating peace deal like a 'real estate transaction' One of the central issues for Europeans, Ian Bond told Euronews, is that Trump appears to be treating a possible peace deal in Ukraine "like a real estate transaction". "He does not understand that some of the territory in the east of Ukraine that Putin covets would be vital to Ukraine's defence when (and it is 'when' not 'if') Russia resumes its aggression and tries to take more Ukrainian territory," the deputy director of the Centre for European Reform (CER) added. Additionally, recent comments by Trump "showed that he still blames Zelenskyy for the war, even though Russia was the aggressor." Vance's participation is also "significant", Majda Ruge, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) told Euronews, "because his position is further away from the one Europeans are hoping to get President Trump to agree to". The US vice-president told Fox News on Sunday that the US is "done with the funding of the Ukraine war business. We want to bring about a peaceful settlement to this thing". He also said that any deal was "not going to make anybody super happy" and called on Europe "to step up and take a bigger role in this thing, and if you care so much about this conflict you should be willing to play a more direct and a more substantial way in funding this war yourself". The EU and its member states are the biggest contributors to Ukraine's defence through their financial, humanitarian and military assistance to the war-torn country since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in late February 2022. "The US Vice-President is keen to improve US relations with Russia and sees a need for compromise with Russian President Putin. He is therefore more likely to push for a position that involves greater concessions from Ukraine than what President Zelenskyy or the European leaders would like to see," Ruge added. Can European leaders sway Trump? The European leaders present in the meeting with Trump will then brief their counterparts involved in the so-called coalition of the willing. The group, led by France and the UK, was formed back in March following the initial thawing of relations between Washington and Moscow to discuss the security guarantees Europe could offer in the event of a peace deal. This will be their seventh meeting. They have so far agreed to the creation of a 'Multinational Force Ukraine' following reconnaissance visits to Ukraine by military chiefs and to "bolster Ukraine's ability to return to peace and stability", and to the establishment of a headquarters in Paris. "So far, the coalition of the willing has not been particularly willing to act. Its focus has been on preparing to support a peace settlement that was never likely as long as Putin's war aims were unchanged," Bond opined. "But what Ukraine needs at present is a coalition willing to help it before the cessation of hostilities – to put enough pressure on Russian forces that Putin is incentivised to stop fighting and make concessions. There is no sign of such a coalition at present," he added. The grouping itself, Dr Melvin said, "is a sign that the main institutions of the Euro-Atlantic community are now unable to deliver the political and security solutions that Europe needs" due to the fact that the EU and NATO run primarily on consensus. Whether Europe's efforts to rally Trump to their cause are fruitful will likely only be observed in Alaska on Friday. Their exchange will have been successful if Trump "stands up to Putin in Alaska, strengthens Zelenskyy's position militarily, and joins the Europeans in increasing sanctions pressure on Russia," Bond said, cautioning however that "it seems unlikely that the meeting will achieve any of those outcomes" given recent comments from US officials. "Maybe the best we can hope for is that Putin over-reaches so that even Trump finds it impossible to accept his proposals," he added.
Euronews
2 hours ago
- Euronews
Zelenskyy warns Putin wants the rest of Ukraine's Donetsk region
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Kyiv to withdraw from the remaining 30% of the Donetsk region that it controls as part of a ceasefire deal, something the Ukrainian leader categorically rejected. Speaking at a press briefing in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said Putin wants the remaining 9,000 square kilometres of Donetsk under Kyiv's control, where the war's toughest battles are grinding on, as part of a ceasefire plan. He then reiterated that Ukraine would not withdraw from territories it controls, saying that would be unconstitutional and would serve only as a springboard for a future Russian invasion. 'We will not leave Donbas. We cannot do this. Everyone forgets the first part—our territories are illegally occupied,' Zelenskyy told reporters at the briefing on Tuesday. 'Donbas for the Russians is a springboard for a future new offensive.' According to the Ukrainian leader, this is what occurred in 2014 when Russia illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula. The amped-up comments on the rejection of any territorial concession come as US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin prepare to meet in Alaska this Friday. It also comes as Russian forces on the ground have been closing in on a key territorial grab around the city of Pokrovsk. On Tuesday, Zelenskyy said diplomatic discussions led by the US, focusing on ending the war, have not touched on security guarantees for Ukraine to prevent future Russian aggression, and that meeting formats currently being discussed do not include Europe's participation, both key demands of Kyiv. Zelenskyy said the necessity of territorial concessions was conveyed to him by US officials ahead of Friday's summit in Alaska and in further meetings at the level of national security officials. A call with Trump and special envoy Steve Witkoff after the latter's bilateral meeting with Putin gave more details about this, he said. Witkoff reportedly told Zelenskyy that Russia was ready to end the war and that there should be territorial concessions from both sides. Some European partners were also part of the call. Seeking Trump's ear before the summit It remained unclear whether Ukraine would take part in the Alaska summit. European Union leaders also have been sidelined from the meeting, and they appealed to Trump on Tuesday to protect their interests. The US president has disappointed allies in Europe by saying Ukraine will have to give up some Russian-held territory. He also said Russia must accept land swaps, although it was unclear what Putin might be expected to surrender. The Europeans and Ukraine are wary that Putin, who has waged the biggest land war in Europe since 1945 and used Russia's energy might to try to intimidate the EU, might secure favourable concessions and set the outlines of a peace deal without them. This Wednesday, EU leaders are expected to make a fresh attempt to rally Trump to Ukraine's cause at virtual meetings convened by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Trump did not confirm whether he would take part, but did say on Monday, 'I'm going to get everybody's ideas,' before meeting with Putin. Trump has said he wants to see whether Putin is serious about ending the war, now in its fourth year. Referring to the format for ceasefire talks, Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that the US proposed a bilateral meeting between the US and Russia and then a trilateral meeting that would include Ukraine. Zelenskyy said the presence of Europe was important for Kyiv because these were the only partners offering security guarantees, including funding the Ukrainian army. Russia currently holds shaky control over four of Ukraine's regions, two in the country's east and two in the south.
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
European leaders to hold Ukraine online summit before Trump-Putin meet
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has invited Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky as well as the French, British and other European leaders and the heads of the EU and NATO to an afternoon video conference. They are then expected to talk to Trump and Vice President JD Vance in a second round of the conference call. The Trump-Putin meeting on Friday -- their first since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine over three years ago -- is so far planned to go ahead without Zelensky. This has fuelled fears Kyiv could be forced into painful concessions, including over land. EU leaders stressed on Tuesday "the inherent right of Ukraine to choose its own destiny", adding that "international borders must not be changed by force". Zelensky, speaking to reporters Tuesday, ruled out withdrawing troops from the Donbas region which Moscow claims. Merz's office said the conference call would discuss "further options to exert pressure on Russia" and "preparation of possible peace negotiations and related issues of territorial claims and security". The talks would include leaders from "Finland, France, the UK, Italy, Poland, Ukraine, the heads of the European Commission and Council, the secretary general of NATO, as well as the US president and his deputy", Berlin said on Monday. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Merz are then also set to hold a round of talks of the so-called Coalition of the Willing of Ukraine's military backers. 'Difficult' battles Trump on Monday played down the possibility of a breakthrough in Alaska but said he expected "constructive conversations" with Putin. "This is really a feel-out meeting a little bit," Trump said at the White House, but he also added that eventually "there'll be some swapping, there'll be some changes in land". Russia, as a prerequisite to a peace settlement, has demanded Kyiv pull its forces out of several regions claimed by Moscow, commit to being a neutral state, shun US and EU military support and be excluded from joining NATO. Ukraine has said it would never recognise Russian control over its sovereign territory, though it acknowledged that getting land captured by Russia back would have to come through diplomacy, not on the battlefield. Ukraine said Tuesday it was engaged in "difficult" battles with Russian forces after Moscow had made rapid advances in a narrow but important section of the front line in the country's east. Zelensky said on social media that "we see that the Russian army is not preparing to end the war. On the contrary, they are making movements that indicate preparations for new offensive operations."
