After UN fiasco: Former African president harshly criticizes Baerbock – “condescending.”
On the sidelines of a summit of African leaders in Nairobi, Botswana’s former President Mokgweetsi Masisi spoke to Bild in strong terms: “Perhaps Ms. Baerbock should have focused on doing her job in German diplomacy instead of trying to dictate to Nigerians where to build their toilets and telling Africans how to deal with elephants.” Masisi added: “Perhaps Germany would then have received more votes from Africa for the UN seat.”
Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has already ruled out a “big bang” of reforms out of consideration for the SPD and a frightened public. However, the verbal de-escalation ahead of the coalition committee meeting should not obscure the extent of the need for action and, above all, who must take the initiative to help Germany emerge from the economic crisis: the SPD, led by Labor and Social Affairs Minister Bärbel Bas, as well as the labor unions. But it won’t work without the cooperation of CSU leader Markus Söder, who is at times very much a social democrat.
And that kind of sort of rhymes with Baerbock, which also means to bungle.
Verbaerbockt?
“Baerbock blew it” – CDU/CSU calls for an inquiry into the Green Party politician following the UN defeat – CSU foreign policy expert Stephan Mayer is calling for an investigation into Germany’s failure to secure a seat on the UN Security Council. Former Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock must answer questions before the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Following Germany’s failure to secure a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, the CDU/CSU is stepping up pressure on former Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. CSU foreign policy expert Stephan Mayer is calling for the Green Party politician to be questioned in the Bundestag, as reported by “Bild.”
“We must thoroughly investigate the causes of this embarrassing election defeat,” Mayer said. To that end, he added, “it is absolutely essential that Annalena Baerbock answer questions from the Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee.” The former foreign minister must explain “how and when her office took specific steps to mobilize majorities in support of Germany’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council.”
Well, to whatever nationality I feel like pledging it to on any give day.
Most new German citizens keep original nationality: survey – Germany’s previous government changed laws to allow dual citizenship. A new survey shows that, one year after that reform, more than 85% of new German citizens are opting to keep their original nationality.
The majority of people who were granted German citizenship last year retained their original nationality, according to a survey by the Mediendienst Integration research group.
It found that the number of newly naturalized citizens with more than one nationality in 2025 ranged from 85% to 98% in cities that collected data.
Germany’s poverty rate rises to record high, welfare group says – Germany’s poverty rate rose to a record high of 16.1% in 2025, leaving around 13.3 million people classified as poor, according to a report published on Tuesday by the Paritätische, an umbrella group for charitable organizations.
The figure was up from 15.5% a year earlier and marked the highest level since comparable records began, the association said, citing official data released earlier this year.
Germany news: Climate activists target tank factory – Climate activists have carried out protests across the industrial Ruhr Valley ahead of a weekend of climate action.
Climate activists target Ruhr Valley as Greta Thunberg attends protest camp.
And what could a zombie apocalypse set Germany back?
Extreme heat could cost Germany up to $131 bln by 2030, analysis shows – Extreme heat could cost Germany up to $131 billion by 2030 and shave up ?to 3% off economic output if ?recent heat wave patterns persist, an analysis from Allianz Trade showed on Thursday.
Germany faces losses of ?up to $131 billion between 2026 and 2030 ?if heat waves seen in the past ?decade recur, the study showed.
Germany’s China problem – and why de-risking hasn’t worked.
Dan Wang of Eurasia Group discusses the paradox of Europe’s current trade strategy, noting that Germany’s efforts to “de-risk” over the past years have actually deepened its reliance on China’s supply chain.
Germany supported Hamas-linked organization for years without tracking funds, audit finds – The audit concerns state funding for the organization Islamic Relief, which is purported to have ties to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Until 2019, the German foreign office supported an aid organization with close ties to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood without knowing how the funds were actually being used.
This information appears in a newly released confidential audit by Germany’s Federal Court of Auditors, which the Institute for Secular Law (Institut für Weltanschauungsrecht or IFW) has been trying to obtain for five years. Until now, unsuccessfully.
Observing Hermann 