German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg said that KFOR is nearing the end of its mandate and that its last steps must be well-planned. He met in Priština with KFOR commander, German General Markus Bentler, stating that the situation on the ground was not flawless and that KFOR’s presence was still needed, but that the mission was nearing its end.
Posts Tagged ‘karl theodor zu guttenberg’
German minister considers dialog with Taliban
December 21st, 2009 |
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German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has advocated talks with “moderate” Taliban in an effort to stabilize the situation in Afghanistan. In an interview with the Welt am Sonntag newspaper, Guttenberg proposed opening up channels for dialog with certain Taliban groups, but warned of the pitfalls of such a strategy.
German Armed Forces General and State Secretary in Defence Ministry resign
November 27th, 2009 |
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Berlin: The head of the German Armed Forces General Wolfgang Schneiderhan and the State Secretary in the Defence Ministry Mr Peter Wichert resigned on Friday over allegations to withhold information of the NATO air strike in Afghanistan in September.
The German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, told the house that Gen Schneiderhan and Wichert withheld information [...]
Opel-Magna not quite yet a done deal
October 18th, 2009 |
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The Opel-Magna deal seems tantalisingly close to being done, but until it is actually inked the uncertainties remain. The position of the EU on state aid for Opel from Germany’s government is the latest spanner in the works.
The EU Commissioner for Competition Neelie Kroes has written to Germany’s Economics Minister Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg expressing her concerns that there are ‘significant indications’ that aid promised by German government to New Opel was subject to the pre-condition that Magna/Sberbank was selected to acquire a majority of the shares in New Opel. That’s against the rules.
The EU involvement appears to raise the possibility that the bidding process may have to be opened up again. While some journalists may feel almost suicidal at such a prospect, there are more serious concerns over what the implications might be for Opel/Vauxhall’s cash-flow position if the deal is significantly delayed.
Would some people at GM still prefer not to sell to Magna? Quite possibly and maybe the EU’s latest involvement plays into their hands.
Done deal? Not quite. It may well be that after a few phone calls and clarifications over German government financing and the bidding process, it all duly goes through this week. But you wouldn’t want to place a bet on that would you?
Merkel challenger promises jobs
August 3rd, 2009 |
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German Vice-Chancellor Frank-Walter Steinmeier has outlined his party’s election manifesto, vowing to bring full employment to Germany.
The leader of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) is set to challenge Chancellor Angela Merkel in the country’s 27 September polls.
The economic crisis is a key campaign issue and Mr Steinmeier said his party would create four million jobs by 2020.
Critics say the plan lacks focus and is unrealistic in recession-hit Germany.
Recent polls suggest the SPD is trailing Mrs Merkel’s conservative bloc by as much as 10 points.
"We need to finally move beyond all this crisis talk and develop a clear outlook for the next decade," Mr Steinmeier told reporters ahead of the manifesto’s launch on Monday.
"Particularly amid this crisis, it is essential to say that we have the potential to create these four million jobs."
Unrealistic pledges
Recent German jobs figures suggest nearly 3.5 million people are unemployed in Germany – Europe’s largest economy – and economists say that figure could rise by as much as one million in the next year.
According to the German weekly newspaper Der Spiegel, the SPD’s 67-page manifesto – entitled Plan for Germany – says environmentally friendly schemes such as the building of electric cars would employ two million Germans.
"People are sick of being bombarded with pledges during election campaigns"
Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
Economy Minister
Another million would be employed in the health industry to cater for the country’s ageing population, while boosting creative industries would create a further million jobs.
Economy Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, from Mrs Merkel’s conservative CDU party, criticised the pledges, saying they were short of detail.
"People are sick of being bombarded with pledges during election campaigns," Mr Guttenberg was quoted as saying by AFP news agency. "They are right to expect specific proposals. There are very few of those in the SPD plan."
The centre-left SPD has been the junior partner in Mrs Merkel’s coalition for the past four years.
But when the German chancellor launched her party’s election manifesto in June, she voiced hopes her party would do well enough to allow it to jettison its coalition partner.
Mrs Merkel’s campaign is centred on a pledge to cut taxes, which the SPD has condemned as a "tax gift" giveaway.
Mrs Merkel hopes to get enough votes to replace the SPD with the pro-market Free Democrats (FDP).
Despite the ongoing economic crisis, Mrs Merkel remains popular in Germany, but opinion polls have suggested the CDU and FDP may not be able to garner enough votes to work together.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
‘Question marks’ over Opel bids
July 19th, 2009 |
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There are still lots of question marks surrounding the three bids for a majority stake in Opel, Germany’s economy minister has said.
Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg said that the bidders needed to take on more risk if any deal was to be agreed.
The German government is closely involved in talks between Opel’s owner General Motors and the bidders, having pledged considerable financial support.
If a deal is not agreed, he said, Opel could ultimately face bankruptcy.
‘Advanced’ negotiations
"There are still lots of question marks. For example, the bidders have to ensure that the new Opel company can start with a strong capital base. Otherwise, the EU Commission will not accept the rescue," Mr zu Guttuenberg said.
"If everything fails, what we do not want to happen – Opel’s bankruptcy – cannot be ruled out ultimately," he added.
In May, the German government backed a bid from Canadian car parts maker Magna to take a stake in the troubled carmaker.
However, relations between Opel’s owner, General Motors (GM), and Magna have soured in recent weeks, leaving the door open for two further bidders – Belgian private equity firm RHJ International and Chinese firm Beijing Automotive Industries.
Just last week, RHJ said it was in "advanced" negotiations with GM.
Magna wants control of some GM intellectual property rights, as well as distribution rights in Russia, something which the US carmaker is not willing to hand over.
Now it appears there are doubts in Germany about all three bids.
Job losses
GM has just emerged from bankruptcy protection after losing billions of dollars following a massive slump in sales due to the global economic downturn.
As part of its cost-cutting measures, the carmaker is selling GM Europe, which employs a total of 54,500 workers across Europe, with 25,000 based in Germany.
Under the Vauxhall brand, the firm employs 5,500 UK workers and has plants in Luton and Ellesmere Port.
There have been worries that UK workers will suffer sharp job losses as financial support for Opel from the German government safeguards German jobs. </p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.