That means Russian assets (frozen assets).
Merz also wants to use Russian assets in Germany.
Brilliant move, Germany. The Russians won’t notice and there won’t be any retaliation.
Can Russia’s assets frozen in the EU be used for Ukraine? Negotiations on this issue are gaining momentum. Germany is also making concessions.
And become less dependent on the United States.
Germany’s Merz: Europe must become less dependent on United States – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday rejected a blistering attack on European democracies by the Trump administration, which issued a strategy paper last week declaring that the continent faced “civilizational erasure.”
The U.S. National Security Strategy, made public last week, caused shock across Europe, with a broadside that accused European governments of “subversion of democratic processes” and said U.S. policy should include “cultivating resistance” within the European Union.
If the future of the world is being shaped in Europe then the future looks pretty dim indeed.
The future of the world is being shaped in Europe, says German Chancellor Friedrich Merz – In his speech to his party’s youth wing on Saturday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) clearly distanced himself from the far-right AfD and stressed the importance of Europe and the European Union.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) on Saturday stressed Europe’s strategic importance, saying that the future of the world is being shaped on the continent.
Speaking to the German youth at the Young Union (Junge Union)’s Germany Day conference in Rust, Baden-Württemberg, Merz said this was not just about the European Union but the principles guiding the coexistence of people on the continent.
Who doesn’t know what he’s driving at.
Germany was billed as Europe’s growth driver. Now economists are saying: Not so fast – Huge investment pledges and major fiscal changes had bolstered hopes that Germany could give the euro zone economy a much-needed boost, but economists are starting to question if — and when — that will happen.
“The actual spending is slower than many of the more excitable pundits had expected. In Germany, it takes time to spend money.”
Just kidding. This is Germany, after all.
Survey: 63% of Germans support European sanctions on Israel – According to Deutsche Welle (DW), citing the research group Verein, the survey published by Der Spiegel Online found that 63 per cent of German voters back proposals from the European Commission to impose sanctions on Israel. Others expressed reservations or opposition.
The poll comes at a time of rising tensions in European–Israeli relations, against the backdrop of the Gaza war, which has caused widespread destruction and hunger, alongside international calls for a ceasefire and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Not.
The influx of migrants has been out of control for ten years now and there’s no end in sight.
Germany updates: Merkel’s ‘Wir schaffen das!’ 10 years on – Today marks 10 years since Chancellor Angela Merkel said “we’ll manage it” as Germany welcomed hundreds of thousands of displaced people.
“Wir schaffen das” is now “wir sind geschafft.” We’re done. Exhausted.
It’s easy, Germany. You can do it too.
The best part is that there are never any consequences… Right? Even when spending the money you don’t have is never actually spent.
Germany’s borrowing spree plans face a reality check – Investors would be wrong to overstate concerns about a debt surge by the country.
Germany has had an abrupt awakening on the need to increase defence spending. The country enjoyed an oversized peace dividend for years: before the Berlin Wall fell, west Germany spent almost 3 per cent of GDP on defence. In the three decades after 1993 that ratio dropped to around 1.2 per cent annually. Military capabilities fell commensurately.
Since Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the election of a US president given to venting misgivings about European allies, a hectic scramble has ensued to make up for lost time. As chancellor, Olaf Scholz declared a “Zeitenwende” (or historical turning point) and parliament approved a €100bn debt-financed special fund for defence spending…
Nevertheless, markets would be wrong to overstate the German debt surge. The government’s ambition will probably be thwarted when the plans get in contact with reality. Appropriating borrowing permission is much easier than actually spending it. Scholz’s military special fund is a case in point. Up to April, halfway through its life, only around a quarter of the money has been disbursed.
But we’re just stretched too thin at the moment for the past forty years.
Germany likely too stretched to provide troops for Ukraine, foreign minister says – Johann Wadephul’s comments come as the U.S. and European nations discuss security guarantees for Kyiv as a core element of any potential peace deal.
Or is it already too late?
Germany is now leading the charge on Europe’s anti-immigration turn – Chancellor Merz’s new hardline course promises to accelerate the EU’s rightward pivot on migration as the bloc prepares to implement tough measures.
Past German governments sought to temper Europe’s most hardline impulses on migration. Now, under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Berlin is vying to lead Europe’s anti-immigration charge.
The stark shift in Germany’s migration stance under its new government promises to accelerate the EU’s hard-right turn on migration as the bloc prepares to implement a series of new measures aimed at drastically reducing the number of asylum seekers entering Europe — and deporting more of those who do make it. As European leaders negotiate on how to put these measures into place, those from some of the EU’s most hardline countries are welcoming Germany’s new role.
That means to have the greater leverage, to have the upper hand.
Trump triumphs over the EU: Why the Americans have always had the upper hand over Brussels – The “deal” between the two economic superpowers is a clear victory for the US. The Europeans lacked the potential to threaten.
Observing Hermann 