Enjoying a coffee on one of Berlin's many rooftop terraces, a helicopter suddenly rises from the Chancellery, the center of German power. These days, that's nothing unusual. Just before the national election, Angela Merkel is on the move throughout the country. As the leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), she will have made more than 50 campaign appearances before Germans go to the polls on September 24. She regularly draws crowds of several thousand people. And during this campaign, her rallies are also regularly interrupted by groups of protesters from the right-wing populist or far-right scene. The 63-year-old is at the center of every CDU event, and at the heart of its entire election platform. When the ruling party campaigns, it essentially comes down to who is sitting in the Chancellery. People would be forgiven for thinking that Merkel is the president of Germany. After all, she is responsible for issues of national importance: security, Germany's … [Read more...] about Germany’s Angela Merkel seeks re-election: Steady wins the race
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Germany’s Angela Merkel calls for faster deportations of rejected Tunisian asylum seekers
Angela Merkel called for the speedier expulsion of rejected Tunisian refugees from Germany in her weekly video podcast on Saturday. She pledged to raise the issue with Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed during his visit to Berlin next week. The chancellor referred specifically to the case of Anis Amri, the Tunisian terrorist whose deportation was delayed by the slow processing of replacement paperwork. He went on to kill 12 people and injure 56 others in a truck attack on a Berlin Christmas market in 2016. "With the terrorist Anis Amri we had trouble with the issuing of a replacement passport - it arrived very late. However, one must also say that the multiple identities of Amri were very diverse. And so, of course, we will talk about how we can ensure that the work is processed more quickly, especially when it has to do with a threat to public safety," she said in the podcast. "I also know that the Tunisian government has a very positive attitude to improving this … [Read more...] about Germany’s Angela Merkel calls for faster deportations of rejected Tunisian asylum seekers
US President Barack Obama calls Germany’s Angela Merkel a ‘trusted partner’
At a joint press conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel in Hanover on Sunday, Obama said that his country and the European Union (EU) needed to keep pressing for a trans-Atlantic free trade deal. Obama added that previous US trade deals had strengthened the economy and although people were unsettled by globalization, there would be problems if the US failed to remain competitive in the face of growing economies in Asia. The US' free trade pact with the EU, referred to as the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Industrial Pact (TTIP) would remove unnecessary bureaucratic and regulatory hurdles and make business between the two partners easier, Obama told reporters. The leader also emphasized security challenges, like fighting the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) and said the US and Germany had committed to stronger counterterrorism and intelligence cooperation. He also congratulated the German chancellor for her handling of the refugee crisis, saying, "she is on the right side of history." … [Read more...] about US President Barack Obama calls Germany’s Angela Merkel a ‘trusted partner’
Germany’s Angela Merkel to begin two-day trip to the Balkans
Angela Merkel was set to begin her two-day visit to the Balkans to discuss trade, energy and bilateral and EU relations, the German government said in a statement. Albania, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, all want to join the European Union, and are eagerly awaiting the influential German chancellor's arrival amid the Greek crisis that has rattled the bloc. Merkel was expected in the Albanian capital Tirana on Wednesday, where she was to participate in a discussion with Rama and Albanian President Bujar Nishani and finish her trip with a speech at a German-Albanian business conference with the prime minister. Merkel was expected to reach the Serbian capital Belgrade on Wednesday evening where the Serbian President Aleksandr Vucic would receive her, the statement from Berlin said. She would also talk to civil society representatives at a breakfast meeting on Thursday. Sarajewo in Bosnia-Herzegovina would be Merkel's last stop in the Balkans visit. She was expected to hold crucial … [Read more...] about Germany’s Angela Merkel to begin two-day trip to the Balkans
Germany’s Angela Merkel tops Forbes’ list of most powerful women
American business magazine Forbes on Thursday published its list of the world's 100 most powerful women, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel topping the list for the 11th time. "Once again, Merkel tops the list. As the de facto leader of the struggling European coalition, Merkel this year won a hard-fought election that saw the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party creep into the Bundestag," Forbes wrote. Read more: Angela Merkel: How the German chancellor defeats her opponents "She'll have to continue to hold tight to the EU rudder as she faces oncoming storms from Brexit and the growing anti-immigrant sentiment in Europe. She's working from a position of strength though as Germany's economy continues to grow." Merkel was also given the No. 3 spot on Forbes' 2016 list of most powerful people in the world, with many labeling her the leader of "the last bastion of Western liberal power." From Brexit to Facebook British Prime Minister Theresa May was ranked second most … [Read more...] about Germany’s Angela Merkel tops Forbes’ list of most powerful women