German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that she does not have much hope for a quick European Union accession for Bosnia-Herzegovina. After meeting with Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency head Željko Komšić in Berlin, she said that “a very long road†is ahead of Bosnia towards EU membership.
Posts Tagged ‘german chancellor angela merkel’
“Germany backs candidate application”
December 10th, 2009 |
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel is in favor of Serbia applying for EU candidate status before Dec. 25, a Belgrade daily writes. Blic newspaper reports today that Serbia’s top state leadership are conducting consultations with all EU members on a date for the application to be made.
Germany supports unfreezing of SAA
November 17th, 2009 |
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Germany explicitly supports Serbia’s entry into the European Union, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Beta reports. But, she continued, Berlin also believes that there is a “logical order of steps” on every country’s path toward integration.
Tadić in Germany, set to meet Merkel
November 16th, 2009 |
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President Boris Tadić is paying a one-day visit to Germany this Monda, it has been announced. He will meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister Gwido Westerwelle.
German parties reach coalition deal
October 24th, 2009 |
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives are set to form a coalition government after sealing a deal with the Free Democrats. The agreement came after the parties struck a compromise on thorny financial issues.
The week ahead
October 11th, 2009 |
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America’s president must decide soon on his strategy for Afghanistan
• BARACK OBAMA is pondering one of the hardest decisions of his presidency: whether to deploy additional soldiers to Afghanistan, as requested by his General there, Stanley McChrystal. Wrapped up in the question of whether to send tens of thousands of extra soldiers is whether to change strategy against the Taliban insurgency. European leaders, too, are coming under pressure to do more in Afghanistan. Britain’s prime minister, Gordon Brown, may decide to send more soldiers. The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, may be more willing to do so too, with her re-election safely completed. The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, has yet to make good on promises to dispatch more soldiers to the war zone.
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The week ahead
October 11th, 2009 |
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America’s president must decide soon on his strategy for Afghanistan
• BARACK OBAMA is pondering one of the hardest decisions of his presidency: whether to deploy additional soldiers to Afghanistan, as requested by his General there, Stanley McChrystal. Wrapped up in the question of whether to send tens of thousands of extra soldiers is whether to change strategy against the Taliban insurgency. European leaders, too, are coming under pressure to do more in Afghanistan. Britain’s prime minister, Gordon Brown, may decide to send more soldiers. The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, may be more willing to do so too, with her re-election safely completed. The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, has yet to make good on promises to dispatch more soldiers to the war zone.
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Germany’s Merkel talks with partners to form a new govt
October 8th, 2009 |
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union and her new coalition partner liberal Free Democratic have started negotiations to form a new centre-right government, a week after they won an absolute majority in the parliamentary elections.
The leaders of the CDU, its Bavarian sister party Christian Social Union (CSU) and the FDP, on Tuesday worked [...]
Tadić congratulates Merkel on election win
October 1st, 2009 |
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President Boris Tadić has congratulated German Chancellor Angela Merkel on her party’s triumph in the German parliamentary elections at the weekend. The two leaders, who spoke by phone, discussed intensifying cooperation between their two countries, as well as Serbia’s European integration. Merkel’s Christian Democrats polled highest in Sunday’s elections, and Merkel looks set to form a coalition government with other center-right parties.
Merkel set to head new center-right govt.
September 28th, 2009 |
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German voters handed Chancellor Angela Merkel a second term in office and a mandate to form a new government with her preferred partner, the pro-business FDP. Provisional results show that German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives have won 33.8 percent of the vote, putting them on course to form a government with their preferred partners, the pro-business FDP.
Merkel wins German vote but talks with new partner loom
September 28th, 2009 |
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel faces tough negotiations to bridge policy differences with the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) after an election which gave her a new term as head of a centre-right government. After barely squeezing into office four years ago and being forced
Opel/Vauxhall still murky
September 14th, 2009 |
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Has the fog cleared over the future of GM’s European Opel/Vauxhall operations? To some extent perhaps, but major uncertainties remain.
Even if we assume that the deal to sell a majority stake to Magna is now a formality (I am a little wary of such assumptions these days; the deal has yet to be closed), there’s still the small matter of addressing a restructuring of operations to give the new ‘orphaned’ firm a fighting chance of long-term survival.
Where will the cost-cutting axe fall? Again, the politics of the situation – in terms of plants and jobs in different countries – will continue to be very much in the limelight. Will decisions be taken on economic grounds or political ones? We’ll see, but it has been pretty political so far.
It may not, however, be quite as simplistic as portrayed in the sense that German Chancellor Angela Merkel may have got the deal she wanted ahead of the German general election, but its the post-election period that will see any ‘bad’ news on German Opel jobs becoming evident.
Other national governments won’t sit idly by, either.
OPEL AFTERMATH: Factory, worker, futures unclear
Here in Britain the politicians are stirring, too. The future for Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port looks pretty secure – it is making the new Astra and is seen as a relatively efficient plant. It also acts as a natural currency hedge while the UK stays out of the euro. But there are question-marks against the Vauxhall Luton plant that makes vans in collaboration with Renault.
On the plus side, the UK government is hoping to secure more work for Ellesmere Port, said to be earmarked to make the Ampera range-extender hybrid (the Chevy Volt’s European sibling). How has that project been ring-fenced to stop Magna and its Russian partners getting all over the technology? Maybe that’s been an open door for the UK government to push at for a while and maybe that helps to explain why Lord Mandelson hasn’t been too noisy through the whole Opel/Vauxhall sale process – there’s been a quiet ‘understanding’ with GM over the future Ampera project.
As I say, the politicking and speculation will continue for a while yet. Things should become clearer in October.
Germany calls for probe of Afghan air strike
September 7th, 2009 |
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for a quick and thorough investigation by NATO into a German-ordered air strike in northern Afghanistan Friday. Local officials say civilians were among those killed.
Decision time
August 24th, 2009 |
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The continuing deadlock over GM’s sale of Opel/Vauxhall places an unhelpful uncertainty over the company’s future.
GM’s board of directors, it would appear, favours the bid from investor group RHJ. That bid has emerged as one in which GM can likely have a greater say in Opel’s future (whether or not there is actually a buy-back clause). The Magna bid, however, comes with concerns over technology transfer, not just to Magna, but to its ambitious Russian partners who want to build and sell Chevrolets in Russia.
Now then, GM as seller, you might think, ought to be free to choose a buyer. But it is a bit more complicated than that. Opel in Germany employs 25,000 directly – over half of GM Europe’s total workforce – and is seen as very important to Germany’s economy. The German government has already made bridging finance available to Opel’s German operations and wants a big say in Opel’s future.
The German government at all levels has swung solidly behind the Magna proposal which is perceived as more sympathetic to maintaining plants and jobs in Germany than RHJ’s.
That means GM’s board and the German government are not exactly seeing eye to eye. In essence, Germany wants Magna and GM now leans towards RHJ.
A federal election due next month has added to German political momentum behind the Magna plan. Pressure is being exerted at all levels and may well become difficult for GM to resist. German Chancellor Angela Merkel would probably like to present a more or less done deal to voters. If she does manage to do that, the devil may well be in the detail.
Whoever the new owner eventually is, restructuring is coming. How many jobs will go, on what timescale and exactly where may well be a fuzzy question to answer for a while yet. The bad news will be easier to deliver when that election is out of the way.
But will Opel/Vauxhall be in the right shape to be competitive? If not, protecting jobs now may well be jeopardising more in the future.
GM receives three bids for Opel
July 20th, 2009 |
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Would-be buyers of General Motor’s Opel business have until later on Monday to lodge plans for the firm’s future.
Canadian-Austrian car parts maker Magna International is favourite to buy Opel – which includes Vauxhall in the UK.
Magna, backed by Russia’s Sberbank, wants to use Opel to make an aggressive push into the Russian market.
However, Belgium-based investor RHJ International is manoeuvring to try to make a successful bid – with plans to restructure Opel’s operations.
GM was forced to put Opel up for sale as part of its massive restructuring which saw it go into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US – before emerging as a leaner company with less debt.
Opel has been placed under the ownership of a trustee in which both GM and the German government have a stake – making the process of deciding a buyer complex.
Vauxhall commitment
The Magna consortium had looked to certain to win the battle for Opel since May – when the German government’s supported the move.
And last week, German chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev voiced their support for Magna.
However, Opel’s future has become less clear-cut after RHJ, which is backed by US private equity firm Ripplewood, said last week that its negotiations with GM and Germany were "at an advanced stage".
Both firms’ plans are thought to involve cutting about 10,000 Opel jobs – and protecting all four German car-making plants.
Magna has now said that "no immediate plant closures are contemplated" at the Vauxhall sites at Luton and Ellesmere Port, which employ about 5,000 people. However, that commitment has only been made to 2013.
RHJ is also expected to support saving both Vauxhall factories – but may ask workers to take pay cuts.
GM is expected to give its preliminary findings on the final bids to the German and other European governments on Wednesday.
Next week GM is expected to have a recommendation ready on which bid to accept. That will be put before its board and the US Treasury, which has a majority stake in GM.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Kremlin tribute to dead activist
July 16th, 2009 |
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Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has paid tribute to human rights activist Natalia Estemirova, whose murder has caused international concern.
Speaking in Germany, as her funeral was being held in Chechnya, he promised a thorough investigation and pledged those responsible would be caught.
Ms Estemirova was abducted in the Chechen capital Grozny and shot dead.
Russia’s leader said it was "obvious" to him that her murder was linked to her professional work.
"She gave a very open and sometimes very tough evaluation of what’s happening in the country"
Dmitry Medvedev
Russian president
The UN has urged a transparent investigation into the killing on Wednesday, while the White House says it is "disturbed and saddened" by the crime.
Memorial, the Russian human rights group which employed Ms Estemirova, has accused Chechnya’s Kremlin-backed President, Ramzan Kadyrov, or his close associates of responsibility for the murder.
Mr Kadyrov denied any involvement and promised to investigate the killing personally.
‘She spoke the truth’
"It is obvious to me that this murder is linked to her professional work and this work is necessary for any normal state," Mr Medvedev said after talks outside Munich with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"She did something very useful. She spoke the truth, she gave a very open and sometimes very tough evaluation of what’s happening in the country.
"And that is the value of human rights campaigners, even if they make those in power feel uncomfortable."
Unlike his predecessor Vladmir Putin, President Medvedev has moved fast to publicly and explicitly condemn the murder of another prominent Russian human rights worker, the BBC’s Rupert Wingfield Hayes reports from Moscow.
He is perhaps aware of the wave of international outrage generated by her killing, our correspondent says.
Ms Estemirova was abducted from her home in Chechnya and her bullet-riddled body was found dumped in a forest a few hours later.
For years she had documented appalling human rights abuses carried out by the Moscow-backed regime in Chechnya, our correspondent says.
Mourning in Grozny
About 100 mourners gathered outside Memorial’s Grozny office on Thursday, some of them weeping.
The dead woman’s daughter Lana, 15, said she was stunned by her mother’s killing.
"I can’t imagine [she] won’t be around any more and that I won’t be making a morning coffee for her any more," she was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.
Taus Dzhankhotova, 50, said she had been unaware of the killing when she showed up at the office carrying a pizza and melon she wanted to give to Ms Estemirova in thanks for legal help she had provided.
"What for What for" she said, crying. "They kill only the good people here. If she was bad, they wouldn’t have touched her."
Later, about 50 men and women walked in a slow procession along Prospekt Putin, a central Grozny street, to accompany the dead woman’s body, which was being carried in a yellow minivan to a cemetery in western Chechnya.
While Mr Kadyrov denies he had anything to do with her killing, many of her colleagues in Russia’s human rights community are unconvinced, our correspondent says.
Oleg Orlov, Memorial’s chairman, blamed the Chechen president personally in a statement on the group’s website.
Mr Kadyrov had, he said, "already threatened Natalia, insulted her, considered her a personal enemy".
The Chechen leader condemned Ms Estemirova’s killers on Thursday saying they "must be punished as the cruellest of criminals". </p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
German brothel offers cyclists discount
July 14th, 2009 |
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Maison d’Envie in Berlin rewards ‘green commitment’ with a discount, but what else would encourage you to ride a bike?
The Germans have always been one step ahead of the rest of us when it comes to the environment. They are European champions when it comes to wind power, recycling rates and installing combined heat and power boilers. The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, is a former environment minister.
So it should come as no surprise to learn that a German businessman has pushed the concept of green rebates to the next logical level: Thomas Goetz, owner of a Berlin brothel called Maison d’Envie, is currently offering a discount to any customer who arrives by bicycle or public transport.
“The recession has hit our industry hard,” Goetz told Reuters. “Obviously we hope that the discount will attract more people. It’s good for business, it’s good for the environment – and it’s good for the girls.”
Any punter who arrives by bike – the puns readily spring to mind with this story – or who can prove they’ve travelled by public transport qualifies for the discount (they must present a valid ticket and a map of Berlin’s public transport network upon arrival). The room hire for a 45-minute “session” is normally €70 (£60), but cyclists qualify for a €5 “eco” discount. Customers with, er, less time on their hands can opt for the 15-minute session which normally costs €30, but with that eco discount it drops down to €25. (For unexplained reasons, though, no eco discount is available for a 60-minute session. The mind boggles.)
In the name of research, I had a quick look around the brothel’s website to verify that the offer really does exist, and, yes, there it is in black and white. “The Maison d’Envie offers one major advantage over other establishments: it is perfectly accessible by public transport. Both S-and U-Bahn stations are within walking distance and well-maintained bicycle paths also allow for a more environmentally friendly journey. And because we want to reward your green commitment, we have – and it’s unique in Berlin – an environmental discount.” It’s the sort of statement you might expect to hear from your local council, not an establishment – very much legal in Germany – that offers the services of “nice, motivated models” in a “very pleasant, almost family atmosphere”.
It seems to be working, though, as Goetz says the offer is attracting three to five new customers every day, adding that the incentive has helped to reduce traffic and parking congestion in the local area.
So, what would it take to get you going by bike more often? What other innovative incentives could help boost the number of people cycling?
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