Gerhard Schröder Casts a Dark Shadow over Berlin's Foreign Policy
#International #Germany #GermanPolitics #GermanRussianRelations #TransAtlanticRelations #GermanPolishRelations #GermanForeignPolicy #Russia #VladimirPutin #GasPipelines #NordStream

In the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Germany is cutting a rather ambivalent figure․ Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder is one major reason why․ Can the Social Democrats and the country find its way out from under his shadow?

The Attack on Ukraine: Germany Begins Preparing for a Possible Wave of Refugees
#International #Germany #Ukraine #GermanPolitics #AsylumandMigration #EuropeanRefugeeCrisis #VladimirPutin #Russia

The EU is preparing for hundreds of thousands of refugees to arrive from Ukraine․ Many German states have already begun preparations and Poland has pledged to assist all those who need help․

Chancellor Scholz Takes the Plunge: Germany Completes Historic Foreign Policy About-Face
#International #Germany #GermanPolitics #GermanForeignPolicy #OlafScholz #NATO #Russia #VladimirPutin #Ukraine #EuropeanUnion

In just 30 minutes on Sunday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz discarded decades of foreign policy tradition․ His speech to German parliament marks an epochal shift․

Standing Up to Putin: Inside Germany's Foreign and Security Policy Revolution
#International #Germany #RussiasWarAgainstUkraine #OlafScholz #Defense #GermanPolitics #GermanForeignPolicy #VladimirPutin #Russia #Ukraine #Bundeswehr

The Russian attack on Ukraine has led Germany to reverse decades of foreign and security policy․ Suddenly, Europe's pacifist giant has been forced to adopt a more military posture․ Inside the country's epochal shift․

Sanctions against Putin: Time for Germany to Implement an Oil Embargo
#International #Germany #RussiasWarAgainstUkraine #Ukraine #Russia #VladimirPutin #GermanPolitics

Germany has made massive changes to foreign and security policy to confront the Russian invasion of Ukraine․ But it's not enough․ An oil embargo is the logical next step․

Where's Olaf Scholz?: Germany's Chancellor Opts for a Low Profile at a Moment of Crisis
#International #Germany #OlafScholz #GermanPolitics #RussiasWarAgainstUkraine #Ukraine #Bundeswehr #Defense

In the immediate aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz discarded decades of German foreign policy tradition and upended his own party's approach to Russia․ Since then? Crickets․

German President Steinmeier on the War in Ukraine: "I Still Hoped that Putin Possessed a Remnant of Rationality"
#International #Germany #FrankWalterSteinmeier #GermanPolitics #GermanForeignPolicy #RussiasWarAgainstUkraine #Ukraine #VladimirPutin #Russia

In a DER SPIEGEL interview, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier admits to having misjudged Russian President Vladimir Putin․ He discusses his country's sanctions regime and how dramatically the invasion has changed European realities․

From Peaceniks To Hawks?: Germany's Greens Have Transformed in the Face of Russia's War
#International #Germany #GreenParty #GermanPolitics #AnnalenaBaerbock #GermanForeignPolicy #RussiasWarAgainstUkraine #Russia #VladimirPutin

The Greens have long been regarded as peace-loving idealists․ They are now among the loudest voices calling for heavy weapons to be delivered to Ukraine and have placed considerable pressure on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to do so․ The pacifists of yore have gone quiet and now the talk is of tanks and howitzers․

German Economy Minister on the Gas Shortage: "There Is a Black Hat, and Putin Is Wearing It"
#International #Germany #GermanPolitics #FossilFuels #WindEnergy #Coal #NaturalGas #GermanRussianRelations #VladimirPutin #Russia #RussiasWarAgainstUkraine

Germany is facing a potentially difficult winter due to natural gas shortages․ In an interview, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck talks about what Putin is trying to achieve and how Germany is seeking to dull the effects․

Interview with Henry Kissinger: For War in Ukraine, "There Is No Good Historical Example"
#International #World #RussiasWarAgainstUkraine #Ukraine #History #GermanPolitics #VladimirPutin #Russia #GermanRussianRelations

Former U․S․ Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, 99, experienced several Soviet leaders during his career in politics․ Now, he says that Russian President Vladimir Putin is both calculated and resentful․ And that Russia's future relationship with Europe will become a key geostrategic question․

Nuclear Power for the Winter: Germany's Green Party Confronts Its Last Taboo
#International #Germany #NuclearPhaseOut #NuclearPower #GermanEnergyRevolution #Energy #GreenParty #GermanPolitics

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck wants to keep two nuclear power plants on standby to prevent electricity shortages this winter now that Putin has cut energy supplies․ The Green Party will have to decide if it can reconcile this with the anti-atomic position that served as its genesis․ Will the party revolt?

Habeck's Meltdown: Nuclear Energy Standby Proposal Has Germany's Greens Seeing Red
#International #Germany #GermanPolitics #RussiasWarAgainstUkraine #NuclearPower #NaturalGas #Energy

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck was on the verge of becoming a political superstar․ But now, the Green Party heavyweight may be experiencing a meltdown in the face of the country's looming energy shortages – and his proposal to use nuclear power to bridge the gap if worse comes to worst․

Embracing Extremism: The True Leader of Germany's Right Wing AfD
#International #Germany #GermanPolitics #AlternativeforGermany #RightWingPopulism #RightWingExtremism #EasternGermany

For years, Germany's far-right AfD party has seen multiple power struggles as the extremist wing under Björn Höcke sought to seize control․ Though he's not part of the leadership duo, Höcke has now reached his goal․

Prince Putsch and His Gang: The Motley Crew that Wanted To Topple the German Government
#International #Germany #RightWingExtremism #AlternativeforGermany #GermanPolitics

An obscure German blue blood is reportedly at the center of a strange plan to topple the German government foiled this week by the country's security services․ Observers are describing the development as a dangerous escalation of the Reichsbürger movement, whose followers want to overthrow Germany's leaders․

The Bad News Bundeswehr: An Examination of the Truly Dire State of Germany's Military
#International #Germany #Bundeswehr #Defense #RussiasWarAgainstUkraine #Ukraine #GermanPolitics

Last February, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that the country was going to invest substantially in its military․ But not much has happened since then․ And now Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht has been replaced․ DER SPIEGEL takes a closer look at what is ailing the Bundeswehr․

Nipped in the Bud: Germany To Push Ahead With Limited Legalization of Cannabis
#International #Germany #Drugs #Cannabis #GermanPolitics #EuropeanUnion

The coalition government in Berlin had big plans to legalize the possession and sale of cannabis in Germany․ But the government was never as enthusiastic about the issue as it let on, and the plans it unveiled on Wednesday are very limited in scope compared to legalization efforts in the United States․

Germany's Flat-Rate Train Ticket
#International #Business #Transportation #DeutscheBahn #GermanPolitics #Travel

The history of the Deutschland Ticket shows how complicated progress is in a country where pettiness is often the order of the day․ And how, sometimes, politicians in Germany can find solutions that they weren't even looking for․

Normalization on the Extreme Right: Alternative for Germany Party Again Gaining Ground
#International #Germany #AlternativeforGermany #RightWingPopulism #GermanPolitics #ChristianDemocraticUnion #FreeDemocraticParty #RightWingExtremism

The far-right Alternative for Germany party is polling better than it has in several years․ With elections approaching next year in a trio of eastern German states, the AfD is seeking to find its way even closer to the political mainstream․

Dangerous Liaisons: The True Proximity of Germany's AfD To Neo-Nazis
#International #Germany #GermanPolitics #AlternativeforGermany #RightWingExtremism #RightWingPopulism

Officially, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party wants nothing to do with organized right-wing extremists and neo-Nazis․ But reporting by DER SPIEGEL sheds light on connections that are deeper than those previously known․

Rising Right: The German AfD's Constant Drift Toward Extremism
#International #Germany #GermanPolitics #AlternativeforGermany #RightWingExtremism #RightWingPopulism

The right-wing extremist Alternative for Germany party is increasingly open about its rejection of democratic principles․ But public support is soaring nonetheless․ The party's focus on professionalism could be one reason why․