Latest news with #Bavaria-only
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
German arms exports to Israel since October 7 approach €500 million
Germany has approved exports of arms to Israel worth almost half a billion euros since the beginning of the war in Gaza amid an ongoing debate over whether Berlin should suspend deliveries. Figures from the Economy Ministry seen by dpa show that €485 million ($554 million) in exports of weapons and military equipment were approved between October 7, 2023 - when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched deadly attacks on Israel - and May 13, 2025. It is unclear whether the figures included any deliveries granted by the new German government, which took office on May 6. Germany has been one of Israel's most vocal supporters since the October 7 attacks and has been reluctant to criticize the Israeli military's conduct in Gaza despite widespread international condemnation. The picture has changed in recent days, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul among a number of high-profile German politicians condemning the latest Israeli offensive in Gaza and the restriction of humanitarian aid. The apparent shift in Germany's position has revived the debate on whether Berlin should end deliveries of military equipment and weapons to Israel. Wadephul recently questioned further shipments in an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, saying the government is reviewing whether Israeli actions in Gaza comply with international humanitarian law. However, other leading figures from Wadephul and Merz's conservative bloc - made up of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union (CSU) - have rejected the proposal, including Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. On Tuesday, top CDU lawmaker Steffen Bilger said the CDU/CSU parliamentary group's executive committee has agreed on a common line with Wadephul. While "criticism of Israel among friends" should indeed be voiced, discussions on weapons embargoes and sanctions are "not on the agenda," Bilger said. Poll: Majority of Germans support suspending exports A majority of Germans support suspending arms exports to Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza, a survey revealed on Tuesday. The poll found that 58% of respondents favoured a temporary halt to arms deliveries, while 22% were opposed. Another 19% were undecided or declined to answer. The study by polling firm INSA, commissioned by the Avaaz campaign organization, surveyed 1,001 people between May 28 and May 30.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Top German court blocks populist party's challenge to election result
Germany's top court on Tuesday rejected a challenge to the results of February's parliamentary elections. The case was brought by the populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), which won 4.981% of the vote - falling just short of the 5% required to secure seats in the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament. The party filed a legal challenge to the results, arguing that its right to equal opportunity was denied over the failure to carry out a recount, and the BSW's placement on election ballots. The Constitutional Court, based in the south-western city of Karlsruhe, ruled that the complaints were inadmissible. "The applicant has not sufficiently substantiated the possibility of a violation of its right to equal opportunities," it said in a statement. Just one year after emerging as a splinter group from The Left party, the BSW fell 9,529 votes short of reaching the 5% hurdle in February's election. In its challenge, it claimed that up to 32,000 votes for the party were either not counted, or were incorrectly assigned. A successful challenge could have had huge implications for German politics. The new coalition government in Berlin - made up of Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats, the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union and the centre-left Social Democratic Party - would have lacked a majority in the Bundestag if the BSW had overcome the 5% hurdle.
Qatar Tribune
27-05-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Germany earmarks $125 billion for 2025 to revive sluggish economy
Agencies The German government is earmarking some 110 billion euros ($125 billion) in public investments this year to revive the nation's sluggish economy, the country's new finance minister, Lars Klingbeil, said on Tuesday. 'We want there to be tangible changes for people who work hard and who rightly expect our country to function better,' said Klingbeil, who also serves as vice chancellor in Chancellor Friedrich Merz's new government. The Finance Ministry said investments are to increase by almost 50% in 2025, compared to the previous year, the report by the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) said. The investments are to come from Germany's core budget, as well as a 500-billion-euro package that was passed in March. 'At the same time, we will implement comprehensive structural reforms and continue to strictly consolidate the budget,' Klingbeil said in an emailed statement to Reuters. Germany's new coalition government plans a surge in public spending targeting defense and infrastructure, hoping to close gaps in long-neglected areas of investment while hauling the economy out of a two-year downturn. 'My top priority is to put Germany on a growth path now. This is how we boost the economy and secure jobs,' said landmark 500-billion-euro package was rushed through the German parliament following February's parliamentary elections by the incoming coalition partners – Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU), the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union (CSU) and Klingbeil's center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD). It allowed the new administration to circumvent strict rules on borrowing and deficit spending to invest in defense, infrastructure and climate protection measures. The package required votes from the Greens, who secured a promise for 100 billion euros of the pot to be transferred to the government's Climate and Transformation Fund, dedicated to climate spending. However, the Greens – now in the opposition – have warned that the government could use the special fund to plug budgetary holes and finance expensive giveaways promised during the election campaign. On Tuesday, Klingbeil announced comprehensive structural reforms to cut budgetary spending. The government is currently preparing a draft of the 2025 budget, which the cabinet is due to approve on June 25. The announcement by the finance minister comes as a new projection by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) on Tuesday showed the German economy is expected to contract by 0.3% this year, shrinking for a third consecutive year. The risk of recession persists, the DIHK said, but following a promising first quarter, its projection was more optimistic than the previously forecast 0.5% contraction published in February. Economic growth in the first quarter was significantly stronger than expected due to export and industry frontloading ahead of U.S. tariffs. Germany had been expected to be badly affected by tariffs due to its export-oriented economy. The U.S. was Germany's biggest trading partner in 2024, with two-way goods trade totaling 253 billion euros. The DIHK forecasts German exports to decline by 2.5% in 2025, also contracting for a third consecutive year. A DIHK survey, conducted among 23,000 companies from all sectors and regions, showed that 29% of them see exports falling over the next 12 months, while only 19% expect exports to rise. The German economy continues to struggle with pessimistic business sentiment, standing at 94.9 in the latest survey. Values under 100 mean that there are more pessimists than optimists. 'Businesses are still waiting for signals of progress,' DIHK managing director Helena Melnikov said, calling for urgent political action.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
German economy minister defends plans to build gas-fired power plants
German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche on Friday defended the new conservative-led government's plans to build gas-fired power plants. With coal being phased out to meet climate protection targets, and due to price of carbon dioxide (CO2), secure energy capacity is need, Reiche argued in Berlin. "We urgently need a gas supply, even over a longer period." The minister, who took office last week, dismissed accusations of lobbying and advocated measures to store and re-use carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, known as carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture and utilization (CCU). "When I now hear and read that the gas lobby is at work here, I would like to immediately tell the critics that we must simultaneously enable the capture of CO2, meaning CCS and CCU," she added. "If we need secured capacity and want to pursue climate protection at the same time, we must deal with the CO2 produced, and we will do so by capturing, transporting and storing it." Chancellor Friedrich Merz's new government has faced criticism for its plans on energy policy. The administration - made up of Merz's Christian Democrats, the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union and the centre-left Social Democrats - agreed in its coalition deal to build new gas-fired power plants with a total capacity of up to 20 gigawatts.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Germans divided over bumpy start of new Chancellor Merz, survey shows
Germans are divided over Chancellor Friedrich Merz's bumpy start in office, a survey found on Wednesday, one week after the new administration took the helm in Berlin. The study by pollsters YouGov on behalf of dpa found 35% of respondents said they assess the new government's first days in office as "very" or "rather" positive. On the other hand, 34% of those surveyed gave a "very" or "rather" negative assessment, while the remaining 31% did not know or failed to answer. Merz, who is due to give his first government address in front of parliament later on Wednesday, was elected the 10th chancellor in Germany's post-war history on May 6 after a humiliating defeat in a first round of voting. While the conservative leader managed to garner enough support in a hastily organized second round of voting on the same day, it remains unclear which backbenchers from Merz's newly formed coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD) initially withheld their support. The defeat raised questions about unity in a government set to face a mountain of pressing challenges, including the country's ailing economy. Although Merz's centre-right bloc - made up of the Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union (CSU) - emerged as the strongest force from parliamentary elections on February 23, the chancellor himself is a divisive figure, with many Germans objecting to his brash and sometimes quick-tempered style. The YouGov survey, with 2,200 respondents, was carried out between May 9 and May 12.
