Saturday, July 27

Germany

Germans in September to Vote for the New Government
Germany, News, Politics

Germans in September to Vote for the New Government

Germans will go to the polls next year on September 26 to elect a new government, if it is up to Minister Horst Seehofer of the Interior.   The only alternative is September 19, but the federal states and political parties opt for the 26th. It is President Frank Walter-Steinmeier who has to make the formal decision. Federal elections should not coincide with school holidays and should take place on a Sunday or national holiday, Seehofer said. With those limitations, only two dates remained. Germany is obliged to organize a new ballot box 46 to 48 months after the last Bundestag elections. The elections must reveal who will lead Germany until 2025. The current Chancellor Angela Merkel (66), head of government since 2005, is not going for a new term.
Berlin Court Scraps Mandatory Restaurant Closing Times
Germany, News

Berlin Court Scraps Mandatory Restaurant Closing Times

A judge in Berlin has dismissed the imposed closing time of restaurants at 11 p.m. in summary proceedings.   It cannot be legally substantiated and does not make a significant contribution to the fight against the virus, the magistrate ruled. Eleven restaurants had brought two actions to the court. He praises the efforts of the government to contain the spread of the virus, but according to him the closing time of 11 p.m. does not make a demonstrable contribution to this. The judge said that the German health authorities at the Robert Koch Institute have shown with their statistics that closure at a particular time does not provide any additional benefit in addition to the restrictions already in place, such as hygiene measures or maximum numbers of customers. The judge also see...
German Government Argues About the Right to Work From Home
Europe, Germany, News

German Government Argues About the Right to Work From Home

The German government parties are arguing about the right to work from home.   The Social Democratic Minister for Employment, Hubertus Heil, wants employees to be able to work from home at least 24 days a year, even after the corona crisis. But Chancellor Merkel's coalition partner in Berlin, Chancellor Merkel's Christian Democrats, does not like that. According to the Christian Democrats, working from home leads to extra paperwork. This bureaucracy puts an additional burden on entrepreneurs in these corona times, say politicians from the CDU and CSU faction. Heil emphasizes that the law only applies if working from home is possible at a company. On Monday he did receive support from the Minister for the Environment, SPD party member Schulze. She points to the benefits for the c...
The American Thermo Fisher Decided Not to Take Over the Biotechnologist Qiagen
Business, Germany, News, US

The American Thermo Fisher Decided Not to Take Over the Biotechnologist Qiagen

The American Thermo Fisher has decided not to take over the German biotechnologist Qiagen. The parties had agreed that at least two-thirds of Qiagen's shareholders should support the proposal.   In the end, not even half of the shares of the biotechnologist were offered, and Thermo Fisher withdraws its offer. Qiagen, whose headquarters is in Venlo, has to pay medical company Thermo Fisher a hefty expense allowance of $ 95 million. In July, the parties had made adjustments to the takeover proposal to get more shareholders behind the deal. For example, the Americans increased their offer for Qiagen, and the expense allowance was fixed. Instead of three-quarters, the approval of two-thirds of the shareholders was also required. In the end, only 47 percent of the shares were offered....
German Elite Army Unit Tackled After Right-Wing Extremism
Europe, Germany, News

German Elite Army Unit Tackled After Right-Wing Extremism

German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer wants to intervene harshly on an elite German army unit that has been repeatedly discredited following right-wing extremist incidents.   She plans to disband a company from the unit, DPA news agency has heard from circles of the Defense Commission of the Bundestag, the German parliament. The first commotion arose around the commandos in 2017 when a farewell party of a commander allegedly threw pig heads and brought the Hitler salute. Earlier this year, research showed that twenty members of the elite unit are suspected of right-wing extremist sympathies. That is proportionally five times as much as in the entire German army. In May, Kramp-Karrenbauer appointed a committee to indicate how the commandos can suppress far-right idea...
Germany Will Make A Final Decision on May 6 on Resuming of Certain Sports
Europe, Germany, News

Germany Will Make A Final Decision on May 6 on Resuming of Certain Sports

Germany will make a final decision on May 6 on the possible resumption of certain sports competitions. Chancellor Angela Merkel does this in consultation with the prime ministers of the federal states.   "Then we will see if, and if so, under what conditions competitions can be resumed," Merkel said. A possible most-anticipated reboot of the Bundesliga would then be possible on May 16 or 23. Most federal states had already expressed their views on this. Merkel now needs to consider whether the protocols that the professional football clubs have developed meet all the conditions, Merkel continued. Meanwhile, the 36 clubs from the two highest classes have started testing the players for the coronavirus. They are all back in training, albeit under strict conditions. Merkel said tha...
Second Corona Test of German Leader Angela Merkel is Negative
Germany, News

Second Corona Test of German Leader Angela Merkel is Negative

The second corona test by a German head of government Angela Merkel is also negative.   The Federal Chancellor had also been tested early this week after contacting a doctor who was found to be infected with the coronavirus. According to a government spokesman, a third test will follow early next week. Merkel has been quarantined in her Berlin home since Sunday evening. The Chancellor will continue to work.
Children Died in An Accident with School Bus in Germany
Germany, News

Children Died in An Accident with School Bus in Germany

A school bus accident in the German state of Thuringia killed a girl and an eight-year-old boy. Five children were seriously injured, and 15 others were slightly wounded.   The bus driver is also injured. The bus drove to a primary school in Bad Berka, was hit by slippery roads and crashed on a slope. The police suspect that smoothness was the only cause. There are no indications that something was wrong with the vehicle or that the driver made mistakes. In the southeast of Bavaria, a school bus also crashed Thursday morning. The bus hit the road for an unknown reason and bumped into a tree. The driver was seriously injured, nine school children got rid of it with minor injuries.
Merkel Insists On The Importance Of Own Battery Production
Europe, Germany, International, News

Merkel Insists On The Importance Of Own Battery Production

Merkel Insists on the Importance of own Battery production for Electric Cars. Angela Merkel wants Europe to make an effort to produce batteries for electric cars.   According to the German Chancellor, that is "of ultimate importance" in the switch to e-mobility. China is still the dominant producer of car batteries. Merkel considers that the EU should not wait until the Chinese set up battery factories on European territory. At a conference in Berlin, she stated Tuesday that Europe must improve the technological skills to produce battery cells itself. "Which is essential in the coming decades," she told her audience. During the Day of German Industry, the Chancellor also dealt with the trade conflict between the United States and China. That has taken "unimaginable dimensions"...