German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday she aimed to get a government in place as quickly as possible after she was left scrambling to find a way to govern when three-way coalition talks collapsed last Sunday.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/merkels-fourth-term-in-doubt-as-talks-on-forming-coalition-government-fail-24606">Merkel&#39;s fourth term in doubt as&nbsp;talks on forming coalition government fail</a>

&quot;Europe needs a strong Germany, it is desirable to get a government in place quickly,&quot; Merkel told a party meeting, adding, however, that her acting government was able to carry on day to day business in Europe`s biggest economy.

She added she was prepared to talk to the Social Democrats (SPD) after the centre-left party reversed an earlier decision and said it was prepared to talk to Merkel`s conservatives, but she stressed any talks should be based on mutual respect.&nbsp;

She added she was prepared to talk to the Social Democrats (SPD) after the centre-left party reversed an earlier decision and said it was prepared to talk to Merkel`s conservatives, but she stressed any talks should be based on mutual respect

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday she aimed to get a government in place as quickly as possible after she was left scrambling to find a way to govern when three-way coalition talks collapsed last Sunday. Also read: Merkel's fourth term in doubt as talks on forming coalition government fail "Europe needs a strong Germany, it is desirable to get a government in place quickly," Merkel told a party meeting, adding, however, that her acting government was able to carry on day to day business in Europe`s biggest economy. She added she was prepared to talk to the Social Democrats (SPD) after the centre-left party reversed an earlier decision and said it was prepared to talk to Merkel`s conservatives, but she stressed any talks should be based on mutual respect.

Germany's Merkel vows to get government in place quickly

Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday that she was ready to lead her party into snap elections rather than risk leading an unstable minority government, after the collapse of coalition talks plunged Germany into a political crisis.

&quot;I&#39;m very sceptical&quot; about a minority government, Merkel told public broadcaster ARD, adding that &quot;new elections would be the better path&quot;.

In a separate interview with public broadcaster ZDF, Merkel emphasised that Germany needed a stable government &quot;that does not need to seek a majority for every decision&quot;.

The veteran leader also confirmed that she was ready to lead her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) into new elections and said she had not considered stepping down after 12 years in office.&nbsp;

Merkel has been forced to fight for her political future after high-stakes talks to form a coalition government failed overnight, potentially forcing Europe&#39;s biggest economy to hold new elections.

But a new vote could deliver results that are just as inconclusive as September&#39;s, which had prompted Merkel and her conservative CDU-CSU alliance to seek a partnership with the pro-business FDP and the ecologist Greens.

Merkel has been forced to fight for her political future after high-stakes talks to form a coalition government failed overnight, potentially forcing Europe's biggest economy to hold new elections

Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday that she was ready to lead her party into snap elections rather than risk leading an unstable minority government, after the collapse of coalition talks plunged Germany into a political crisis. "I'm very sceptical" about a minority government, Merkel told public broadcaster ARD, adding that "new elections would be the better path". In a separate interview with public broadcaster ZDF, Merkel emphasised that Germany needed a stable government "that does not need to seek a majority for every decision". The veteran leader also confirmed that she was ready to lead her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) into new elections and said she had not considered stepping down after 12 years in office. Merkel has been forced to fight for her political future after high-stakes talks to form a coalition government failed overnight, potentially forcing Europe's biggest economy to hold new elections. But a new vote could deliver results that are just as inconclusive as September's, which had prompted Merkel and her conservative CDU-CSU alliance to seek a partnership with the pro-business FDP and the ecologist Greens.

Merkel says new elections 'would be better path' than minority government

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/lesser-known-facts-about-angela-merkel-set-to-return-as-germanys-chancellor-20574">Chancellor Angela Merkel failed to reach a</a> compromise on Sunday night on forming a coalition government with the Free Democrats (FDP) and the Greens over hot-button issues in Germany.

Merkel&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/germany-prominent-afd-leader-quits-party-hours-after-election-success-20651">conservative party has been trying</a> to reach a comprise with the FDP and Greens over immigration, climate change, European Union and taxes but hasn&#39;t reached a deal on any issue. The deadline for talks on Sunday night passed with no announcement being made.

FDP leader Christian Lindner refused to rejoin talks putting Merkel&#39;s fourth term in office in peril.

&quot;Today there was no progress but rather there were setbacks because targeted compromises were questioned, it is better not to rule than to rule falsely. Goodbye!,&quot; Lindner said.

Merkel would be forced to lead a minority government or call for fresh elections if the coalition fails to come together strengthing the far-right AfD (Alternative for Germany) which has consistently said it was against immigration in the country.

Julia Kloeckner, deputy chair of Merkel&#39;s Christian Democrats said,&quot;Everyone has to take a success back home. People must ask themselves if they are prepared for this to fail over details.&quot;

However, the Greens are unmoved with future of talks in danger of collapsing completely.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Greens chairwoman Nicola Beer said: &quot;The FDP is now waiting for the Greens and the conservatives to see how far they are prepared to go and if we can then look each other in the eye.&quot;

Merkel&#39;s Christian Democrats (CDU) and Bavaria&#39;s Christian Social Union now face an uncertain future with numbers in the German Parliament the Bundestag against them, the Greens and FDP are however unmoved.

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Merkel's conservative party has been trying to reach a comprise with the FDP and Greens over immigration, climate change, European Union and taxes

Chancellor Angela Merkel failed to reach a compromise on Sunday night on forming a coalition government with the Free Democrats (FDP) and the Greens over hot-button issues in Germany. Merkel's conservative party has been trying to reach a comprise with the FDP and Greens over immigration, climate change, European Union and taxes but hasn't reached a deal on any issue. The deadline for talks on Sunday night passed with no announcement being made. FDP leader Christian Lindner refused to rejoin talks putting Merkel's fourth term in office in peril. "Today there was no progress but rather there were setbacks because targeted compromises were questioned, it is better not to rule than to rule falsely. Goodbye!," Lindner said. Merkel would be forced to lead a minority government or call for fresh elections if the coalition fails to come together strengthing the far-right AfD (Alternative for Germany) which has consistently said it was against immigration in the country. Julia Kloeckner, deputy chair of Merkel's Christian Democrats said,"Everyone has to take a success back home. People must ask themselves if they are prepared for this to fail over details." However, the Greens are unmoved with future of talks in danger of collapsing completely. Greens chairwoman Nicola Beer said: "The FDP is now waiting for the Greens and the conservatives to see how far they are prepared to go and if we can then look each other in the eye." Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and Bavaria's Christian Social Union now face an uncertain future with numbers in the German Parliament the Bundestag against them, the Greens and FDP are however unmoved.

Merkel's fourth term in doubt as talks on forming coalition government fail

Germany&#39;s next finance minister should be politically independent of Chancellor Angela&nbsp;Merkel, the leader of the Free Democrats (FDP) said on Tuesday, rebuffing calls to keep the ministry in conservative hands.

Merkel&#39;s conservatives are poised to begin tricky three-way coalition talks with the pro-business FDP and the environmentalist Greens following an election last month in which her party suffered a sharp drop in support.

Wolfgang Schaeuble, a veteran member of&nbsp;Merkel&#39;s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), is giving up the finance ministry after eight years to become president of the Bundestag lower house of parliament.

He has been temporarily replaced by&nbsp;Merkel&nbsp;ally Peter Altmaier. But FDP leader Christian Lindner said the CDU should relinquish the post in a new government, rebuffing Volker Kauder, a senior Merkel&nbsp;ally, who said last week that the party should keep control of the ministry in order to safeguard Schaeuble&#39;s legacy.

&quot;I think the Chancellery and the finance ministry should be politically separate,&quot; Lindner told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. &quot;A Green, a CSU or an FDP finance minister - anything would be better than leaving the finance ministry in CDU hands.&quot;

Lindner was coy about whether he might do the job himself. The expectation is that the FDP will claim the ministry, but senior members of the party say, Lindner, who indicated during the election campaign that he might prefer to stay outside the cabinet, has not made up his mind yet.

In the interview, Lindner reiterated hardline FDP positions on Europe that appeared in the party&#39;s election programme, including calls for an insolvency mechanism for the eurozone and treaty changes to allow countries to exit the euro.

Lindner also voiced opposition to the idea of turning the euro zone&#39;s rescue mechanism, the ESM, into a more powerful European Monetary Fund, an idea supported by Schaeuble,&nbsp;Merkel&nbsp;and French President Emmanuel Macron.

&quot;In a monetary union where the deficit rules of Maastricht are respected, there is no need for permanent rescue funds,&quot; Lindner said.

He came out against a common deposit insurance scheme for European banks and warnedMerkel&nbsp;and Altmaier against doing deals in Brussels before a new coalition government is in place.

&quot;Germany is not currently in a position to take decisions,&quot; Lindner said. &quot;For me, it is completely out of the question that a finance minister who is only there in an acting capacity negotiates in Brussels as if nothing has happened. No decisions can be taken without achieving a new political legitimacy.&quot;

The leader of Free Democrats Party said the next finance minister of Germany should be politically independent of Chancellor Angella Merkel

Germany's next finance minister should be politically independent of Chancellor Angela Merkel, the leader of the Free Democrats (FDP) said on Tuesday, rebuffing calls to keep the ministry in conservative hands. Merkel's conservatives are poised to begin tricky three-way coalition talks with the pro-business FDP and the environmentalist Greens following an election last month in which her party suffered a sharp drop in support. Wolfgang Schaeuble, a veteran member of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), is giving up the finance ministry after eight years to become president of the Bundestag lower house of parliament. He has been temporarily replaced by Merkel ally Peter Altmaier. But FDP leader Christian Lindner said the CDU should relinquish the post in a new government, rebuffing Volker Kauder, a senior Merkel ally, who said last week that the party should keep control of the ministry in order to safeguard Schaeuble's legacy. "I think the Chancellery and the finance ministry should be politically separate," Lindner told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. "A Green, a CSU or an FDP finance minister - anything would be better than leaving the finance ministry in CDU hands." Lindner was coy about whether he might do the job himself. The expectation is that the FDP will claim the ministry, but senior members of the party say, Lindner, who indicated during the election campaign that he might prefer to stay outside the cabinet, has not made up his mind yet. In the interview, Lindner reiterated hardline FDP positions on Europe that appeared in the party's election programme, including calls for an insolvency mechanism for the eurozone and treaty changes to allow countries to exit the euro. Lindner also voiced opposition to the idea of turning the euro zone's rescue mechanism, the ESM, into a more powerful European Monetary Fund, an idea supported by Schaeuble, Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron. "In a monetary union where the deficit rules of Maastricht are respected, there is no need for permanent rescue funds," Lindner said. He came out against a common deposit insurance scheme for European banks and warnedMerkel and Altmaier against doing deals in Brussels before a new coalition government is in place. "Germany is not currently in a position to take decisions," Lindner said. "For me, it is completely out of the question that a finance minister who is only there in an acting capacity negotiates in Brussels as if nothing has happened. No decisions can be taken without achieving a new political legitimacy."

Merkel's CDU must relinquish finance ministry: FDP leader

Chancellor Angela&nbsp;Merkel&nbsp;said her conservative bloc would&nbsp;begin&nbsp;exploratory talks&nbsp;next&nbsp;week&nbsp;on forming a three-way&nbsp;German&nbsp;coalition&nbsp;government with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and the environmentalist Greens.

Merkel&#39;s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and their Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), would hold&nbsp;talks&nbsp;with the FDP and Greens separately&nbsp;next&nbsp;Wednesday, she said.

&quot;Then on Friday, October 20th we will have the first round of exploratory&nbsp;talks&nbsp;with all partners,&quot; Merkel&nbsp;told a joint news conference with CSU leader Horst Seehofer on Monday.

Merkel&#39;s CDU appeared to make a concession to the CSU on Sunday by agreeing to put a number on how many people&nbsp;Germany would accept per year on humanitarian grounds.&nbsp;Merkel said she was pleased with the compromise, which was &quot;a very, very good basis to go into exploratory&nbsp;talks&quot;.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said, her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and their Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), would hold?talks?with the FDP and Greens separately?next?Wednesday

Chancellor Angela Merkel said her conservative bloc would begin exploratory talks next week on forming a three-way German coalition government with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and the environmentalist Greens. Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and their Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), would hold talks with the FDP and Greens separately next Wednesday, she said. "Then on Friday, October 20th we will have the first round of exploratory talks with all partners," Merkel told a joint news conference with CSU leader Horst Seehofer on Monday. Merkel's CDU appeared to make a concession to the CSU on Sunday by agreeing to put a number on how many people Germany would accept per year on humanitarian grounds. Merkel said she was pleased with the compromise, which was "a very, very good basis to go into exploratory talks".

Three-way coalition talks next week: Merkel

Germany&#39;s Angela&nbsp;Merkel&nbsp;began the tough task of trying to build a&nbsp;coalition government on Monday&nbsp;after<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/angela-merkel-wins-a-fourth-term-in-office-but-it-wont-be-an-easy-one-20593">&nbsp;securing a fourth term as chancellor</a> in an election which saw her support slide and the far right making significant gains.

Damaged by her decision two years ago to allow one million migrants into Germany,&nbsp;Merkel&#39;s conservative bloc secured 33 percent of the&nbsp;vote, losing 8.5 points, its lowest level since 1949. Her&nbsp;coalition&nbsp;partners, the centre-left Social Democrats, also slumped and said they would go into opposition.

Voters flocked to the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), the first far-right party to enter the German parliament in more than half a century. However, the AfD hardly had time to savour its third-place showing before it fell into internal bickering.

Many Germans see the rise of the AfD as a similar rejection of the status quo as&nbsp;votes for Brexit and Donald Trump last year. But Germany&#39;s political centre held up better than in Britain and the United States as more&nbsp;voters have benefited from globalisation and most shun the country&#39;s extremist past.

Merkel&#39;s party remained the biggest parliamentary bloc and Europe&#39;s most powerful leader said her conservatives would set about building the next government. She said she was sure a coalition&nbsp;would be agreed by Christmas.

Martin Schulz, the leader of the Social Democrats that have governed with&nbsp;Merkel&nbsp;since 2013, said his party had no choice but to go into opposition&nbsp;after&nbsp;dropping to a post-war low of 20.5 percent.

&quot;We have understood our task -- to be a strong opposition in this country and to defend democracy against those who question it and attack it,&quot; Schulz told party members to applause.

Investors were unsettled by the prospect of a weaker&nbsp;Merkel&nbsp;at the head of a potentially unstable coalition&nbsp;with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and Greens, dubbed &quot;Jamaica&quot; as the parties&#39; black, yellow and green colours mirror its flag.

They are also worried that months of&nbsp;coalition&nbsp;talks could distract from negotiations with Britain over its divorce from the European Union and efforts to push further integration. The euro and European stocks slipped on Monday.

&quot;The weak result could make Angela&nbsp;Merkel&nbsp;a lame duck much faster than international observers and financial markets think,&quot; ING economist Carsten Brzeski said.

Klaus Wohlrabe, an economist at the Munich-based Ifo economic institute, said new elections could not be excluded and the result could stoke uncertainty as German business confidence deteriorated unexpectedly in the weeks before the election.

DIVISIONS

Many Germans were alarmed by the rise of a party likened by the foreign minister to Nazis. Protesters threw stones and bottles at police outside the AfD&#39;s campaign party in Berlin on Sunday evening.

But just a day&nbsp;after&nbsp;the election, the AfD showed signs of fracturing as co-leader Frauke Petry, one its most prominent faces, said she would not sit in parliament with AfD members. It was not immediately clear why she was making such a move.

The election also exposed divisions in&nbsp;Merkel&#39;s conservatives, with her allies the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) demanding a shift to the right to win back&nbsp;voters lost to the AfD.

The CSU, which lost heavily to the AfD in Bavaria, faces regional elections next year.

&quot;They will try their best to recover lost ground on the right side of the political spectrum. Going into a&nbsp;coalition&nbsp;in Berlin with the Greens and the FDP will make this more difficult,&quot; said Janis Emmanouilidis from the European Policy Centre.

CDU Saxony Anhalt premier Reiner Haseloff called for the party to do more to address&nbsp;voter fears over immigration policy, while other party members warned against shifting to the right.

Leading AfD candidate, Alexander Gauland, gave a foretaste of the hostile new tone expected in parliament, saying it would &quot;hound&quot;&nbsp;Merkel&nbsp;and &quot;get our country and our people back&quot;.

Industry leaders urged&nbsp;Merkel&nbsp;to move fast to build a government.

&quot;Our companies need clear signals. Now it&#39;s all about averting damage to Germany as a place of business,&quot; Dieter Kempf, president of the BDI industry association, said.

After&nbsp;the SPD ruled out another &quot;grand&nbsp;coalition&quot;,&nbsp;Merkel&#39;s only other choice is to pursue a three-way&nbsp;partnership between her conservatives, the FDP and the Greens.

Such an alliance could be fragile due to deep differences on issues from migrants to tax, the environment and Europe.

In particular, the prospect of&nbsp;Merkel&nbsp;sharing power with the FDP is likely to create problems for deeper integration of the eurozone as proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Damaged by her decision two years ago to allow one million migrants into Germany,?Merkel's conservative bloc secured 33 percent of the?vote, losing 8.5 points.

Germany's Angela Merkel began the tough task of trying to build a coalition government on Monday after securing a fourth term as chancellor in an election which saw her support slide and the far right making significant gains. Damaged by her decision two years ago to allow one million migrants into Germany, Merkel's conservative bloc secured 33 percent of the vote, losing 8.5 points, its lowest level since 1949. Her coalition partners, the centre-left Social Democrats, also slumped and said they would go into opposition. Voters flocked to the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), the first far-right party to enter the German parliament in more than half a century. However, the AfD hardly had time to savour its third-place showing before it fell into internal bickering. Many Germans see the rise of the AfD as a similar rejection of the status quo as votes for Brexit and Donald Trump last year. But Germany's political centre held up better than in Britain and the United States as more voters have benefited from globalisation and most shun the country's extremist past. Merkel's party remained the biggest parliamentary bloc and Europe's most powerful leader said her conservatives would set about building the next government. She said she was sure a coalition would be agreed by Christmas. Martin Schulz, the leader of the Social Democrats that have governed with Merkel since 2013, said his party had no choice but to go into opposition after dropping to a post-war low of 20.5 percent. "We have understood our task -- to be a strong opposition in this country and to defend democracy against those who question it and attack it," Schulz told party members to applause. Investors were unsettled by the prospect of a weaker Merkel at the head of a potentially unstable coalition with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and Greens, dubbed "Jamaica" as the parties' black, yellow and green colours mirror its flag. They are also worried that months of coalition talks could distract from negotiations with Britain over its divorce from the European Union and efforts to push further integration. The euro and European stocks slipped on Monday. "The weak result could make Angela Merkel a lame duck much faster than international observers and financial markets think," ING economist Carsten Brzeski said. Klaus Wohlrabe, an economist at the Munich-based Ifo economic institute, said new elections could not be excluded and the result could stoke uncertainty as German business confidence deteriorated unexpectedly in the weeks before the election. DIVISIONS Many Germans were alarmed by the rise of a party likened by the foreign minister to Nazis. Protesters threw stones and bottles at police outside the AfD's campaign party in Berlin on Sunday evening. But just a day after the election, the AfD showed signs of fracturing as co-leader Frauke Petry, one its most prominent faces, said she would not sit in parliament with AfD members. It was not immediately clear why she was making such a move. The election also exposed divisions in Merkel's conservatives, with her allies the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) demanding a shift to the right to win back voters lost to the AfD. The CSU, which lost heavily to the AfD in Bavaria, faces regional elections next year. "They will try their best to recover lost ground on the right side of the political spectrum. Going into a coalition in Berlin with the Greens and the FDP will make this more difficult," said Janis Emmanouilidis from the European Policy Centre. CDU Saxony Anhalt premier Reiner Haseloff called for the party to do more to address voter fears over immigration policy, while other party members warned against shifting to the right. Leading AfD candidate, Alexander Gauland, gave a foretaste of the hostile new tone expected in parliament, saying it would "hound" Merkel and "get our country and our people back". Industry leaders urged Merkel to move fast to build a government. "Our companies need clear signals. Now it's all about averting damage to Germany as a place of business," Dieter Kempf, president of the BDI industry association, said. After the SPD ruled out another "grand coalition", Merkel's only other choice is to pursue a three-way partnership between her conservatives, the FDP and the Greens. Such an alliance could be fragile due to deep differences on issues from migrants to tax, the environment and Europe. In particular, the prospect of Merkel sharing power with the FDP is likely to create problems for deeper integration of the eurozone as proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Merkel looks for coalition partners after vote

Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to cruise to victory in elections Sunday but also to face the breakthrough into parliament of hard-right populists for the first time in Germany&#39;s post-war history.

Voting begins at 0600 GMT in Europe&#39;s biggest economy and exit polls are announced at 1600 GMT, with few expecting surprises given Merkel&#39;s double-digit poll lead.

For months, the woman now dubbed the &quot;eternal chancellor&quot; has been the favourite over her centre-left rival Martin Schulz and looked set to win another term and match the 16-year reign of her mentor Helmut Kohl.

To many in the West, a fourth Merkel victory will come as a relief in a turbulent world, with hopes she will serve as a calm-headed counterweight to US President Donald Trump and Russia&#39;s Vladimir Putin and as the key EU ally to reformist French President Emmanuel Macron.

But the election is also expected to mark a milestone for the four-year-old Alternative for Germany (AfD) which, like right-wing populists elsewhere, rails against migrants, Muslims and mainstream parties.

It has been polling at 11-13 percent and could become Germany&#39;s third strongest party, driven by anger over the influx of one million migrants and refugees, many from war-torn Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, since 2015.

&quot;The AfD&#39;s entry into the Bundestag marks an epochal step forward for the far right,&quot; said Joerg Forbrig of think-tank the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

By entering parliament, he said, &quot;the xenophobic, revisionist and anti-European political force&quot; will have heightened visibility and access to campaign finance, dozens of offices and hundreds of staff.

After a &quot;vicious&quot; campaign, in which the AfD demanded an end to German guilt over two world wars, Forbig warned that &quot;German democracy is about to face its biggest stress test ever&quot;.

At Merkel&#39;s final major stump speech Friday in the southern city of Munich, right-wing activists tried to drown her out with whistles and vuvuzelas and chants of &quot;get lost&quot;.

But the 63-year-old refused to be derailed from her stability-and-prosperity mantra, telling the crowd that &quot;the future of Germany will definitely not be built with whistles and hollers&quot;.

Schulz, for his part, recalled with pride the SPD&#39;s history of resisting the Nazi regime and told a Berlin rally that &quot;this Alternative for Germany is no alternative. They are a shame for our nation.&quot;

Aside from the populist noise, the past two months of campaigning have been widely criticised as lacklustre, with few hot-button issues dividing the main contenders.

The more outspoken Schulz, former president of the European Parliament, has told voters to reject Merkel&#39;s &quot;sleeping-pill politics&quot; and vote against &quot;another four years of stagnation and lethargy&quot;.

In greying Germany, more than half of the 61 million voters are aged 52 or older, and especially Merkel&#39;s conservatives have pitched a low-key and reassuring message of stability and prosperity.

On Saturday, Merkel -- who has signalled she was running again mainly out of a sense of duty -- urged her supporters to cast their ballots with a folksy call to &quot;bring home the bacon&quot;.

For the past term, Merkel&#39;s CDU has ruled with the SPD as its junior partner in a &quot;grand coalition&quot;, marked by broad agreement on major topics, from foreign policy to migration.

Governing in Merkel&#39;s shadow has cost the SPD voter support, and polls give it 21-22 percent compared to 34-36 percent for Merkel&#39;s conservative bloc, which also includes the Bavarian CSU.

Looking at the surveys, many rank-and-file SPD members believe the traditional working class party would benefit from a stint in opposition to rekindle its fighting spirit.

This would leave the presumed winner Merkel in need of new coalition partners -- possibly the liberal and pro-business Free Democrats, who are hoping for a comeback after crashing out of parliament four years ago.

Another potential partner would be the ecologist and left-leaning Greens party, which, however, starkly differs with the FDP on issues from climate change to migration policy.

For months, she is dubbed as the "eternal chancellor" and has been a favourite over her centre-left rival Martin Schulz

Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to cruise to victory in elections Sunday but also to face the breakthrough into parliament of hard-right populists for the first time in Germany's post-war history. Voting begins at 0600 GMT in Europe's biggest economy and exit polls are announced at 1600 GMT, with few expecting surprises given Merkel's double-digit poll lead. For months, the woman now dubbed the "eternal chancellor" has been the favourite over her centre-left rival Martin Schulz and looked set to win another term and match the 16-year reign of her mentor Helmut Kohl. To many in the West, a fourth Merkel victory will come as a relief in a turbulent world, with hopes she will serve as a calm-headed counterweight to US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin and as the key EU ally to reformist French President Emmanuel Macron. But the election is also expected to mark a milestone for the four-year-old Alternative for Germany (AfD) which, like right-wing populists elsewhere, rails against migrants, Muslims and mainstream parties. It has been polling at 11-13 percent and could become Germany's third strongest party, driven by anger over the influx of one million migrants and refugees, many from war-torn Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, since 2015. "The AfD's entry into the Bundestag marks an epochal step forward for the far right," said Joerg Forbrig of think-tank the German Marshall Fund of the United States. By entering parliament, he said, "the xenophobic, revisionist and anti-European political force" will have heightened visibility and access to campaign finance, dozens of offices and hundreds of staff. After a "vicious" campaign, in which the AfD demanded an end to German guilt over two world wars, Forbig warned that "German democracy is about to face its biggest stress test ever". At Merkel's final major stump speech Friday in the southern city of Munich, right-wing activists tried to drown her out with whistles and vuvuzelas and chants of "get lost". But the 63-year-old refused to be derailed from her stability-and-prosperity mantra, telling the crowd that "the future of Germany will definitely not be built with whistles and hollers". Schulz, for his part, recalled with pride the SPD's history of resisting the Nazi regime and told a Berlin rally that "this Alternative for Germany is no alternative. They are a shame for our nation." Aside from the populist noise, the past two months of campaigning have been widely criticised as lacklustre, with few hot-button issues dividing the main contenders. The more outspoken Schulz, former president of the European Parliament, has told voters to reject Merkel's "sleeping-pill politics" and vote against "another four years of stagnation and lethargy". In greying Germany, more than half of the 61 million voters are aged 52 or older, and especially Merkel's conservatives have pitched a low-key and reassuring message of stability and prosperity. On Saturday, Merkel -- who has signalled she was running again mainly out of a sense of duty -- urged her supporters to cast their ballots with a folksy call to "bring home the bacon". For the past term, Merkel's CDU has ruled with the SPD as its junior partner in a "grand coalition", marked by broad agreement on major topics, from foreign policy to migration. Governing in Merkel's shadow has cost the SPD voter support, and polls give it 21-22 percent compared to 34-36 percent for Merkel's conservative bloc, which also includes the Bavarian CSU. Looking at the surveys, many rank-and-file SPD members believe the traditional working class party would benefit from a stint in opposition to rekindle its fighting spirit. This would leave the presumed winner Merkel in need of new coalition partners -- possibly the liberal and pro-business Free Democrats, who are hoping for a comeback after crashing out of parliament four years ago. Another potential partner would be the ecologist and left-leaning Greens party, which, however, starkly differs with the FDP on issues from climate change to migration policy.

Merkel heads for German poll win, hard-right AfD for first seats

Angela Merkel will continue as chancellor of Germany. But following an <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/politics">election</a> that saw the rise of <a href="http://www.focus.de/politik/praxistipps/erste-hochrechnungen-die-aktuelle-prognose-zum-ergebnis-der-bundestagswahl-2017_id_7631195.html">smaller parties</a> &ndash; most notably the far right &ndash; her fourth term will probably be an eventful one in ways, she would not wish for.

The Union parties (Merkel&rsquo;s CDU and sister party CSU) finished in top place with just under 33%. They did nevertheless lose almost 9% over their previous election result of 2013.

The Social Democratic Party (SPD), coalition partner to the Union parties, finished a distant second, with just over 20% of the vote. For the SPD, this is a historic low: almost 6% down on the last election. Party leader Martin Schulz failed to come up to scratch in a lacklustre campaign.

Four smaller parties have managed to meet the 5% threshold to qualify for seats in parliament.

The right-wing populist party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), achieved a dubious milestone in post-war German history. With a vote share of 12.5%, it will be the first overtly far-right nationalist party to enter the federal parliament.

The Left Party (die Linke) and the Green Party (B&uuml;ndnis &lsquo;90/die Gr&uuml;nen) made marginal gains to score 9% and just over 9% respectively. Big gains went to one party that had been more or less written off after the last election and to another that many commentators hoped never to see in parliament at the federal level. The liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) rose from the ashes to return to parliament under their charismatic new leader Christian Lindner. With 10.7% of the vote, the party more than doubled its tally of the last election.

Forming a government

The new government will need to control 316 seats in the parliament to achieve the majority needed to take office. While probably technically possible, a continuation of the current Grand Coalition (GroKo) between CDU/CSU and SPD now seems unlikely.

Having sent mixed messages before the election, the SPD declared after the close of polls that it aims to work as an <a href="http://www.focus.de/politik/deutschland/bundestagswahl_2017/bundestagswahl-2017-im-live-ticker-wahlbeteiligung-bislang-schwaecher-als-2013_id_7631710.html">opposition</a> party in the new parliament.

With the AfD and die Linke ruled out of a CDU/CSU-based coalition on ideological grounds, this leaves the possibility of a so-called Jamaica coalition of CDU/CSU, FDP and the Greens (the parties&rsquo; traditional colours of black, green and yellow tally with the Jamaican flag). However, this option is no foregone conclusion and could prove very unpopular with voters.

All roads lead to Merkel

Despite the consistency of the polls over the past few weeks, an unprecedented number of German voters &ndash; <a href="http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/bundestagswahl/bundestagswahl-2017-entscheidet-die-taktik-der-waehler-15212740.html">around 40%</a> &ndash; remained undecided as late as a week before the election.

The uncertainty was palpable in an unusually nervy, volatile mood among the electorate. <a href="https://www.pocketstory.com/der-spiegel/sicherheit-und-wut">Psychologist Stephan Gr&uuml;newald</a> noted odd swings in public perceptions of the Merkel government&rsquo;s achievements. One minute Germany was a &ldquo;desolate land&rdquo;, the next an &ldquo;island of prosperity&rdquo;.

Germans are well aware of their relative prosperity in Europe but seem to have been traumatised by the impact of the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41147362">migrant crisis</a> within their borders. Anxiety runs high over international tensions and there is a fear that Germany&rsquo;s economic security is under threat. At one level, people could hardly be bothered about the election. Even so, social media posts exploded with rage and Merkel&rsquo;s car was <a href="http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/bundestagswahl/merkels-wagen-mit-tomaten-beworfen-15190057.html">pelted with tomatoes</a> at appearances in the east &ndash; her home territory.

The voters sensed that a change was overdue but calculated that in practice all votes &ndash; other than for the radical outliers of the Left Party and AfD &ndash; would trickle back to Merkel. Ironically, the opposition parties fed the perception that there was no alternative to Merkel.

Before election day, all of the remaining mainstream parties &ndash; SPD, Greens and FDP &ndash; had seemed open to the idea of joining a coalition. With the Union parties bossing the polls at around 36% and the SPD well behind at around 22%, it was clear that any continuation of the GroKo would be led by Merkel, not Schulz.

Even after three terms in office and after testing the forbearance of the German public with her open doors asylum policy, 56% claimed in polling that they would rather see her <a href="http://www.forschungsgruppe.de/Aktuelles/Politbarometer/">remain chancellor</a> while only 32% favoured Schulz. With neither the mainstream parties nor the voters daring to rock the boat, Merkel barely needed to campaign.

But now she faces another set of challenges before she can forge a new government. Before the election, it was thought that the higher the vote for the AfD, the greater the likelihood that the vote of the other smaller parties would be squeezed, making a continuation of the crumbling CDU/CSU-SPD partnership unavoidable. Instead, it was the vote of the two main parties that was squeezed, apparently convincing the SPD that there was no future for it in a Merkel-led GroKo. Now Merkel must try to make a pact with two parties that will stretch the comfort zone of an already broad Union church.

<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/84578/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />Also, the higher the vote for the AfD, the greater the pressure that the CSU, the CDU&rsquo;s more conservative and reactionary Bavarian sister party, can exert on the content of the government&rsquo;s coalition agreement and on future policy direction. Horst Seehofer, the leader of the CSU, had already announced his intention of driving the Union parties further to the right in the post-election coalition negotiations. The strident entry of the AfD into parliament will help him to justify his demands, including a more <a href="https://theconversation.com/angela-merkels-election-manifesto-attempts-to-rebrand-refugees-80447">rigorous immigration control policy</a>. With the CSU suffering a historic low of 38.5% &ndash; a drop of almost <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/csu-stuerzt-in-bayern-auf-niedrigstes-ergebnis-seit-1949-a-1169590.html">11% of the vote</a> &ndash; in its Bavarian constituency, it will be sure to press even harder for conservative reforms.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/angela-merkel-wins-a-fourth-term-in-office-but-it-wont-be-an-easy-one-84578">original article</a>.

&nbsp;

Angela Merkel maintains her pre-eminence and leads to the challenging fourth term

Angela Merkel will continue as chancellor of Germany. But following an election that saw the rise of smaller parties – most notably the far right – her fourth term will probably be an eventful one in ways, she would not wish for. The Union parties (Merkel’s CDU and sister party CSU) finished in top place with just under 33%. They did nevertheless lose almost 9% over their previous election result of 2013. The Social Democratic Party (SPD), coalition partner to the Union parties, finished a distant second, with just over 20% of the vote. For the SPD, this is a historic low: almost 6% down on the last election. Party leader Martin Schulz failed to come up to scratch in a lacklustre campaign. Four smaller parties have managed to meet the 5% threshold to qualify for seats in parliament. The right-wing populist party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), achieved a dubious milestone in post-war German history. With a vote share of 12.5%, it will be the first overtly far-right nationalist party to enter the federal parliament. The Left Party (die Linke) and the Green Party (Bündnis ‘90/die Grünen) made marginal gains to score 9% and just over 9% respectively. Big gains went to one party that had been more or less written off after the last election and to another that many commentators hoped never to see in parliament at the federal level. The liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) rose from the ashes to return to parliament under their charismatic new leader Christian Lindner. With 10.7% of the vote, the party more than doubled its tally of the last election. Forming a government The new government will need to control 316 seats in the parliament to achieve the majority needed to take office. While probably technically possible, a continuation of the current Grand Coalition (GroKo) between CDU/CSU and SPD now seems unlikely. Having sent mixed messages before the election, the SPD declared after the close of polls that it aims to work as an opposition party in the new parliament. With the AfD and die Linke ruled out of a CDU/CSU-based coalition on ideological grounds, this leaves the possibility of a so-called Jamaica coalition of CDU/CSU, FDP and the Greens (the parties’ traditional colours of black, green and yellow tally with the Jamaican flag). However, this option is no foregone conclusion and could prove very unpopular with voters. All roads lead to Merkel Despite the consistency of the polls over the past few weeks, an unprecedented number of German voters – around 40% – remained undecided as late as a week before the election. The uncertainty was palpable in an unusually nervy, volatile mood among the electorate. Psychologist Stephan Grünewald noted odd swings in public perceptions of the Merkel government’s achievements. One minute Germany was a “desolate land”, the next an “island of prosperity”. Germans are well aware of their relative prosperity in Europe but seem to have been traumatised by the impact of the migrant crisis within their borders. Anxiety runs high over international tensions and there is a fear that Germany’s economic security is under threat. At one level, people could hardly be bothered about the election. Even so, social media posts exploded with rage and Merkel’s car was pelted with tomatoes at appearances in the east – her home territory. The voters sensed that a change was overdue but calculated that in practice all votes – other than for the radical outliers of the Left Party and AfD – would trickle back to Merkel. Ironically, the opposition parties fed the perception that there was no alternative to Merkel. Before election day, all of the remaining mainstream parties – SPD, Greens and FDP – had seemed open to the idea of joining a coalition. With the Union parties bossing the polls at around 36% and the SPD well behind at around 22%, it was clear that any continuation of the GroKo would be led by Merkel, not Schulz. Even after three terms in office and after testing the forbearance of the German public with her open doors asylum policy, 56% claimed in polling that they would rather see her remain chancellor while only 32% favoured Schulz. With neither the mainstream parties nor the voters daring to rock the boat, Merkel barely needed to campaign. But now she faces another set of challenges before she can forge a new government. Before the election, it was thought that the higher the vote for the AfD, the greater the likelihood that the vote of the other smaller parties would be squeezed, making a continuation of the crumbling CDU/CSU-SPD partnership unavoidable. Instead, it was the vote of the two main parties that was squeezed, apparently convincing the SPD that there was no future for it in a Merkel-led GroKo. Now Merkel must try to make a pact with two parties that will stretch the comfort zone of an already broad Union church. Also, the higher the vote for the AfD, the greater the pressure that the CSU, the CDU’s more conservative and reactionary Bavarian sister party, can exert on the content of the government’s coalition agreement and on future policy direction. Horst Seehofer, the leader of the CSU, had already announced his intention of driving the Union parties further to the right in the post-election coalition negotiations. The strident entry of the AfD into parliament will help him to justify his demands, including a more rigorous immigration control policy. With the CSU suffering a historic low of 38.5% – a drop of almost 11% of the vote – in its Bavarian constituency, it will be sure to press even harder for conservative reforms. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Angela Merkel wins a fourth term in office ? but it won't be an easy one

By Padma Rao Sundarji, Sr Foreign Editor, WION

Many details of the life of German Chancellor Angela Merkel have been in the public domain for years. That she&nbsp;belongs to the Uckermark --&nbsp;a region in Germany&#39;s Brandenburg which was formerly the German Democratic Republic or East Germany --&nbsp;but was born in the west German harbour town Hamburg. We also know that she graduated in physics and worked as a research scientist&nbsp;before she entered politics.

Today,&nbsp;she&nbsp;is known as the most powerful woman in the world. Angela Merkel is slated to win a record fourth term and remains -- a likeable, humble personality endowed with sharp political prowess.

WION&#39;s Padma Rao Sundarji compiles some not so well-known facts and some of the Powerfrau&rsquo;s softer sides. 
&nbsp; 
The Legend of Paul and Paula, a 1973 German movie in which the heroine dies, leaving behind her lover and three children, is her favourite film.

She is partly of Polish descent --&nbsp;her maiden name was Angela Kazmierczak -- which, after the family moved to Germany, became Kasner.

She bought her first Beatles record &nbsp;in Moscow, lived in a crumbling apartment in communist East Berlin and even had a job as a barwoman in a discotheque.

Six books including one titled &ldquo;50 Shades of Angela Merkel&rdquo; have attempted - not very successfully - to unveil her fiercely guarded private life and earlier one as an East German.

Angela Merkel is a member of the Communist Youth Movement, during which she is said to have been in charge of propaganda at an academy of sciences.

Italy is a favourite holiday destination and she vacationed there recently with her grandchildren.

The &quot;Iron Chancellor&quot;&nbsp;is known to possess mean baking skills: &nbsp;her plum cake, meatloaf and potato soup are renowned for their perfection. 
 
She goes shopping for groceries herself whenever she can, even queuing up at check-out counters. 
 
&nbsp;The Chancellor is frightened of dogs since she suffered a dog-bite in the mid-Nineties. 
 
She was originally married to a fellow student of physics, Ulrich Merkel. The couple divorced in 1983. A year later, she married Joachim Sauer, a notoriously shy theoretical chemist.&nbsp;The couple have &nbsp;two sons from Mr Sauer&#39;s earlier marriage. 
 
Chancellor Merkel&#39;s characteristic steepling of her hands, known as the &quot;Merkel-Raute is seen on many pictures. It even has its own emoticon. 
&nbsp; 
It may have started as a dig by her political opponents but the term &lsquo;&rsquo;Mutti&rdquo; (mummy) is often used affectionately by Germans when they speak of their Chancellor.

WION's Padma Rao Sundarji compiles some not so well-known facts and some of the Powerfrau?s softer sides.

By Padma Rao Sundarji, Sr Foreign Editor, WION Many details of the life of German Chancellor Angela Merkel have been in the public domain for years. That she belongs to the Uckermark -- a region in Germany's Brandenburg which was formerly the German Democratic Republic or East Germany -- but was born in the west German harbour town Hamburg. We also know that she graduated in physics and worked as a research scientist before she entered politics. Today, she is known as the most powerful woman in the world. Angela Merkel is slated to win a record fourth term and remains -- a likeable, humble personality endowed with sharp political prowess. WION's Padma Rao Sundarji compiles some not so well-known facts and some of the Powerfrau’s softer sides. The Legend of Paul and Paula, a 1973 German movie in which the heroine dies, leaving behind her lover and three children, is her favourite film. She is partly of Polish descent -- her maiden name was Angela Kazmierczak -- which, after the family moved to Germany, became Kasner. She bought her first Beatles record in Moscow, lived in a crumbling apartment in communist East Berlin and even had a job as a barwoman in a discotheque. Six books including one titled “50 Shades of Angela Merkel” have attempted - not very successfully - to unveil her fiercely guarded private life and earlier one as an East German. Angela Merkel is a member of the Communist Youth Movement, during which she is said to have been in charge of propaganda at an academy of sciences. Italy is a favourite holiday destination and she vacationed there recently with her grandchildren. The "Iron Chancellor" is known to possess mean baking skills: her plum cake, meatloaf and potato soup are renowned for their perfection. She goes shopping for groceries herself whenever she can, even queuing up at check-out counters. The Chancellor is frightened of dogs since she suffered a dog-bite in the mid-Nineties. She was originally married to a fellow student of physics, Ulrich Merkel. The couple divorced in 1983. A year later, she married Joachim Sauer, a notoriously shy theoretical chemist. The couple have two sons from Mr Sauer's earlier marriage. Chancellor Merkel's characteristic steepling of her hands, known as the "Merkel-Raute is seen on many pictures. It even has its own emoticon. It may have started as a dig by her political opponents but the term ‘’Mutti” (mummy) is often used affectionately by Germans when they speak of their Chancellor.

Lesser known facts about Angela Merkel, set to return as Germany's Chancellor

Angela Merkel has been derided as Europe&#39;s &quot;austerity queen&quot;, cheered as a saviour by refugees and hailed as the new &quot;leader of the free world&quot;. 
&nbsp; 
But as the pastor&#39;s daughter raised behind the Iron Curtain heads toward a likely fourth term at the helm of Europe&#39;s biggest economy, many Germans simply call her the &quot;eternal chancellor&quot;. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;Mutti&quot; (Mummy) Merkel, with her pragmatic, modest and reassuringly bland style, has perfected the art of staying in power in a wealthy, ageing nation that tends to favour continuity over change. 
&nbsp; 
In the turbulent times of Trump, Brexit and multiple global crises, the 63-year-old has become the bedrock in a country concerned with maintaining its enviable growth and employment rates. 
&nbsp; 
If there is one conviction Merkel holds dear, it is a lesson from her upbringing in communist East Germany -- a firm belief that Germany and Europe must stay competitive and debt-free in a rapidly changing global economy. 
&nbsp; 
Germans have thanked her by keeping her in power ever since she became their youngest and first female chancellor in 2005, a contemporary of long-gone leaders George W. Bush, Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac. 
&nbsp; 
Seemingly devoid of vanity and indifferent to the trappings of power, she lives in a Berlin flat with her media-shy scientist husband Joachim Sauer, shops in a local supermarket and spends holidays hiking in the Alps. 
&nbsp; 
When international newspapers, after Trump&#39;s surprise victory last year, declared Merkel the new torch-bearer of liberal democracy, she waved off the accolade as &quot;grotesque and absurd&quot;. 
&nbsp; 
&#39;Sphinx, diva, queen&#39;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Though frequently criticised for sitting out tough challenges, Merkel has punctuated her reign with bold and surprising decisions -- from scrapping nuclear power after the 2011 Fukushima disaster to opening German borders to more than a million asylum seekers since 2015. 
&nbsp; 
The migrant influx cost her dearly, both with voters and EU neighbours, and led many to predict her demise.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
But as the number of new arrivals eased off and her government pushed through tougher asylum policies, her poll ratings have edged back up to pre-crisis levels. 
&nbsp; 
So strong is her support that German media reports tend to ridicule her centre-left challengers as luckless operators on political suicide missions, destined to be roadkill as the Merkel juggernaut powers forward. 
&nbsp; 
Merkel herself usually refuses to mention her rivals by name or engage in spirited political dialogue, lending a slightly dreamy atmosphere to recent election campaigns and infuriating her shadow-boxing opponents. 
&nbsp; 
Martin Schulz, her temperamental challenger, lashed out in June, labelling Merkel&#39;s apparent tactic of keeping politics as unexciting as possible &quot;an attack on democracy&quot; -- a comment that earned him stern rebukes from legions of the chancellor&#39;s supporters. 
&nbsp; 
But many political commentators also charge that Merkel has plunged Germany into an apolitical slumber while seeming to grow ever more remote. 
&nbsp; 
Der Spiegel&#39;s Alexander Osang recently labelled her the &quot;woman in amber&quot;, as impenetrable &quot;as a sphinx, diva or queen&quot;, whose speeches were akin to &quot;mass hypnosis&quot;. 
&nbsp; 
&#39;Merkelvellian&#39; 
&nbsp; 
Merkel was born Angela Dorothea Kasner in 1954 in the port city of Hamburg.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Weeks later her father, a leftist Lutheran clergyman, moved the family to a small town in the communist East at a time when most people were headed the other way. 
&nbsp; 
Biographers say life in a police state taught Merkel to hide her true thoughts behind a poker face. 
&nbsp; 
Like most students, she joined the state&#39;s socialist youth movement but rejected an offer to inform for the Stasi secret police while also staying clear of risky pro-democracy activism. 
&nbsp; 
A top student, she excelled in Russian, which would later help her keep up the dialogue with President Vladimir Putin, who was a KGB officer in Dresden when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. 
&nbsp; 
During that momentous upheaval, Merkel joined the nascent Democratic Awakening group, which later merged with the Christian Democrats of then-chancellor Helmut Kohl, who fondly if patronisingly dubbed Merkel his &quot;girl&quot;.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
But Merkel&#39;s mentor was not the last politician to underestimate her and pay the price.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
When Kohl became embroiled in a campaign finance scandal in 1999, Merkel openly urged her party to drop the self-declared &quot;old warhorse&quot;. 
&nbsp; 
The move, which has been described as &quot;Merkelvellian&quot;, kicked off her meteoric rise. 
&nbsp; 
As an outsider, she remade the Christian Democratic Union, anchoring it in the political centre by pushing progressive social policies, abolishing compulsory military service and scrapping nuclear power. 
&nbsp; 
She emerged as Europe&#39;s go-to leader during the sovereign debt crisis, though she was derided as a puritanical &quot;austerity queen&quot; in crisis-wracked southern countries. 
&nbsp; 
A decade on, she is still there, and her reign may yet exceed that of her one-time mentor Kohl, especially as no serious challenger from within her party has managed to emerge so far.

She has been derided as Europe's 'austerity queen', cheered as a saviour by refugees and hailed as the new 'leader of the free world'

Angela Merkel has been derided as Europe's "austerity queen", cheered as a saviour by refugees and hailed as the new "leader of the free world". But as the pastor's daughter raised behind the Iron Curtain heads toward a likely fourth term at the helm of Europe's biggest economy, many Germans simply call her the "eternal chancellor". "Mutti" (Mummy) Merkel, with her pragmatic, modest and reassuringly bland style, has perfected the art of staying in power in a wealthy, ageing nation that tends to favour continuity over change. In the turbulent times of Trump, Brexit and multiple global crises, the 63-year-old has become the bedrock in a country concerned with maintaining its enviable growth and employment rates. If there is one conviction Merkel holds dear, it is a lesson from her upbringing in communist East Germany -- a firm belief that Germany and Europe must stay competitive and debt-free in a rapidly changing global economy. Germans have thanked her by keeping her in power ever since she became their youngest and first female chancellor in 2005, a contemporary of long-gone leaders George W. Bush, Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac. Seemingly devoid of vanity and indifferent to the trappings of power, she lives in a Berlin flat with her media-shy scientist husband Joachim Sauer, shops in a local supermarket and spends holidays hiking in the Alps. When international newspapers, after Trump's surprise victory last year, declared Merkel the new torch-bearer of liberal democracy, she waved off the accolade as "grotesque and absurd". 'Sphinx, diva, queen' Though frequently criticised for sitting out tough challenges, Merkel has punctuated her reign with bold and surprising decisions -- from scrapping nuclear power after the 2011 Fukushima disaster to opening German borders to more than a million asylum seekers since 2015. The migrant influx cost her dearly, both with voters and EU neighbours, and led many to predict her demise. But as the number of new arrivals eased off and her government pushed through tougher asylum policies, her poll ratings have edged back up to pre-crisis levels. So strong is her support that German media reports tend to ridicule her centre-left challengers as luckless operators on political suicide missions, destined to be roadkill as the Merkel juggernaut powers forward. Merkel herself usually refuses to mention her rivals by name or engage in spirited political dialogue, lending a slightly dreamy atmosphere to recent election campaigns and infuriating her shadow-boxing opponents. Martin Schulz, her temperamental challenger, lashed out in June, labelling Merkel's apparent tactic of keeping politics as unexciting as possible "an attack on democracy" -- a comment that earned him stern rebukes from legions of the chancellor's supporters. But many political commentators also charge that Merkel has plunged Germany into an apolitical slumber while seeming to grow ever more remote. Der Spiegel's Alexander Osang recently labelled her the "woman in amber", as impenetrable "as a sphinx, diva or queen", whose speeches were akin to "mass hypnosis". 'Merkelvellian' Merkel was born Angela Dorothea Kasner in 1954 in the port city of Hamburg. Weeks later her father, a leftist Lutheran clergyman, moved the family to a small town in the communist East at a time when most people were headed the other way. Biographers say life in a police state taught Merkel to hide her true thoughts behind a poker face. Like most students, she joined the state's socialist youth movement but rejected an offer to inform for the Stasi secret police while also staying clear of risky pro-democracy activism. A top student, she excelled in Russian, which would later help her keep up the dialogue with President Vladimir Putin, who was a KGB officer in Dresden when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. During that momentous upheaval, Merkel joined the nascent Democratic Awakening group, which later merged with the Christian Democrats of then-chancellor Helmut Kohl, who fondly if patronisingly dubbed Merkel his "girl". But Merkel's mentor was not the last politician to underestimate her and pay the price. When Kohl became embroiled in a campaign finance scandal in 1999, Merkel openly urged her party to drop the self-declared "old warhorse". The move, which has been described as "Merkelvellian", kicked off her meteoric rise. As an outsider, she remade the Christian Democratic Union, anchoring it in the political centre by pushing progressive social policies, abolishing compulsory military service and scrapping nuclear power. She emerged as Europe's go-to leader during the sovereign debt crisis, though she was derided as a puritanical "austerity queen" in crisis-wracked southern countries. A decade on, she is still there, and her reign may yet exceed that of her one-time mentor Kohl, especially as no serious challenger from within her party has managed to emerge so far.

Angela Merkel, Germany's 'eternal chancellor'

By&nbsp;Padma Rao Sundarji, Sr Foreign Editor, WION

Europe&rsquo;s biggest country Germany is all set for a weekend blockbuster, the big election, which the world will be watching. Germany goes to the polls every four years and will be electing its new Parliament - and in all likelihood, its existing Chancellor Angela Merkel back to the helm for a record fourth term.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Though Merkel has a commanding lead, there are other candidates vying for Berlin&#39;s top job.&nbsp;

Here&rsquo;s a look at the all those in the running&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Merkel&rsquo;s liberal-conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is represented in all states or L&auml;nder of Germany except Bavaria. &nbsp;It governs Germany together with its cousin party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) which is present only in the southern free state of Bavaria, and in a grand coalition with its big rival, the Social Democrat Party (SPD). Consequently, the CDU/CSU grouping - the Union, as it is referred to - has two candidates for chancellor - Angela Merkel of the CDU and Joachim Hermann of the CSU. 
&nbsp; 
The SPD&rsquo;s candidate for Chancellor is Martin Schulz. The 62-year-old book seller joined the Social Democrats at age 19. After triumphing over alcoholism, he put in a stint as a mayor and was later elected to the European Parliament (EP) where he first represented the SPD for eight years and then stayed on for another five as the president of the EP. Schulz speaks five European languages and is an avowed supporter of the European Union.

&nbsp;

<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/peL30NY9jXE" width="770"></iframe></center>

&nbsp;

After these giants, there&rsquo;s the Free Democratic Party (FDP), which follows a liberal ideology. Christian Lindner is the young, hip face of the party which was ignominiously shunted out of Parliament in the last election. And with a catchy new campaign and a candidate to match, the FDP is not only expected to make the &lsquo;five per cent hurdle&rsquo; - a key feature of German politics which allows candidates of a party to go to Parliament only if they receive five per cent of the votes - but may even find itself in a coalition with Merkel&rsquo;s CDU. Lindner, 38, is a graduate of political science who more than knows how to work the media: He is married to the deputy editor-in-chief of Europe&rsquo;s largest daily. 
&nbsp; 
And then there is the Green Party. In environment-conscious Germany, the party will make it into Parliament but will remain - for a lack of enterprise and new ideas - at the bottom of the heap. And like with other twin groups, there are two aspirants for the Chancellor&rsquo;s post - Katrin-G&ouml;ring Eckard, a theologist, and Cem &Ouml;zdemir, a teacher of Turkish origin who joined the greens at 16 and became a German citizen at age 18. 
&nbsp; 
A controversial debut by a party sure to enter Parliament will be that of the AFD, or Alternative f&uuml;r Deutschland. Some say the AFD is going to beat all smaller parties - even the FDP. &nbsp;A right-wing alternative for Germany, the AFD will be fielding 77-year-old lawyer Alexander Gauland and the young and outspoken Alice Weidel. It is no coincidence that both right-wingers are from eastern Germany, where distrust of foreigners - specifically Muslims - runs high and where the AFD enjoys its strongest support base. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
And finally, there&rsquo;s Die Linke or the Left. The German economy is on the upswing. Exports are booming, unemployment is down. There are other problems of course, but surveys show that socialism is not on top of German minds. Consequently the twin outfit comprising of former East and West German Leftists, are expected to make it to Parliament, but will languish at the bottom of the heap. Their candidates are former social scientist Dietmar Barsch and the erudite graduate of literature, Sahra Wagenknecht.

Watch:

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Europe?s biggest country Germany is all set for a weekend blockbuster, the big election, which the world will be watching

By Padma Rao Sundarji, Sr Foreign Editor, WION Europe’s biggest country Germany is all set for a weekend blockbuster, the big election, which the world will be watching. Germany goes to the polls every four years and will be electing its new Parliament - and in all likelihood, its existing Chancellor Angela Merkel back to the helm for a record fourth term. Though Merkel has a commanding lead, there are other candidates vying for Berlin's top job. Here’s a look at the all those in the running Merkel’s liberal-conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is represented in all states or Länder of Germany except Bavaria. It governs Germany together with its cousin party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) which is present only in the southern free state of Bavaria, and in a grand coalition with its big rival, the Social Democrat Party (SPD). Consequently, the CDU/CSU grouping - the Union, as it is referred to - has two candidates for chancellor - Angela Merkel of the CDU and Joachim Hermann of the CSU. The SPD’s candidate for Chancellor is Martin Schulz. The 62-year-old book seller joined the Social Democrats at age 19. After triumphing over alcoholism, he put in a stint as a mayor and was later elected to the European Parliament (EP) where he first represented the SPD for eight years and then stayed on for another five as the president of the EP. Schulz speaks five European languages and is an avowed supporter of the European Union. After these giants, there’s the Free Democratic Party (FDP), which follows a liberal ideology. Christian Lindner is the young, hip face of the party which was ignominiously shunted out of Parliament in the last election. And with a catchy new campaign and a candidate to match, the FDP is not only expected to make the ‘five per cent hurdle’ - a key feature of German politics which allows candidates of a party to go to Parliament only if they receive five per cent of the votes - but may even find itself in a coalition with Merkel’s CDU. Lindner, 38, is a graduate of political science who more than knows how to work the media: He is married to the deputy editor-in-chief of Europe’s largest daily. And then there is the Green Party. In environment-conscious Germany, the party will make it into Parliament but will remain - for a lack of enterprise and new ideas - at the bottom of the heap. And like with other twin groups, there are two aspirants for the Chancellor’s post - Katrin-Göring Eckard, a theologist, and Cem Özdemir, a teacher of Turkish origin who joined the greens at 16 and became a German citizen at age 18. A controversial debut by a party sure to enter Parliament will be that of the AFD, or Alternative für Deutschland. Some say the AFD is going to beat all smaller parties - even the FDP. A right-wing alternative for Germany, the AFD will be fielding 77-year-old lawyer Alexander Gauland and the young and outspoken Alice Weidel. It is no coincidence that both right-wingers are from eastern Germany, where distrust of foreigners - specifically Muslims - runs high and where the AFD enjoys its strongest support base. And finally, there’s Die Linke or the Left. The German economy is on the upswing. Exports are booming, unemployment is down. There are other problems of course, but surveys show that socialism is not on top of German minds. Consequently the twin outfit comprising of former East and West German Leftists, are expected to make it to Parliament, but will languish at the bottom of the heap. Their candidates are former social scientist Dietmar Barsch and the erudite graduate of literature, Sahra Wagenknecht. Watch:

Germany elections: Main parties, their ideologies and who is likely to win?

When Angela Merkel first became Chancellor of Germany in 2005, she was a virtual unknown. Critics were sceptical about her staying power. There were confident predictions that she wouldn&rsquo;t see out the 100-day honeymoon period traditionally enjoyed by a new incumbent. Now, 12 years on, Merkel is undoubtedly the most powerful woman in the world and a symbol of continuity both at home and abroad. Yet remarkably little is known about her, what drives her and what explains her extraordinary resilience. So who is Angela Merkel and what explains her dominance of Germany&rsquo;s millennial years?

Within her party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Merkel&rsquo;s rise to political prominence was aided by two factors: she was both fiercely competent and inconspicuous. She was underestimated, even patronised, by party colleagues. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/16/helmut-kohl-ex-chancellor-and-architect-of-german-reunification-dies-aged-87">Helmut Kohl</a>, the long-serving CDU prime minister who presided over German unification, referred to her as &ldquo;the girl&rdquo; (das M&auml;dchen). He never seriously rated her as a challenge for his role.

<figure class="align-center ">
<figcaption>
When Kohl became embroiled in a <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/the-scandal-that-rocked-the-government-of-helmut-kohl/a-5137950" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">party funding scandal</a> it was Merkel who represented the new face of the CDU, free of the taint of past party sleaze. Kohl apparently <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/angela-merkel/11920552/10-moments-that-define-German-chancellor-Angela-Merkel.html" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">never forgave her</a> for usurping him.
</figcaption>
</figure>

The appeal of the ordinary

Even after three terms in office and after testing the forbearance of the German public with her open doors asylum policy, Merkel remains extraordinarily popular with the German public. Significantly, <a href="https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/deutschlandtrend-895.html">her popularity extends across all parties</a>.

Part of her enduring appeal lies in her unobtrusiveness. For a politician, she is, well, rather ordinary. Merkel has never felt the need to validate herself through a polished public image. She famously wears <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/shortcuts/2012/oct/09/angela-merkel-jacket-pantone">the same jacket in a dizzying array of colours</a>, because it&rsquo;s easier than selecting new styles for every public appearance. Her groundedness and indifference to the trappings of the political high life have earned widespread respect.

Although entitled to live in a fine official residence at the Brandenburg Gate, she prefers to stay in a small flat she shares with her husband. When she has time, she cooks her own food. A keen football fan, the photos of her and president Joachim Gauck celebrating in the German national squad&rsquo;s dressing room after their <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/pictures/10965966/Angela-Merkels-World-Cup-German-Chancellor-joins-in-the-celebrations.html">2014 World Cup</a> win look natural and convincing.

In her understated way, Merkel conveys an image of a woman who can&rsquo;t be bought; who somehow remains outside the privileged elite. Both endearing and slightly demeaning, her nickname of &ldquo;Mutti&rdquo; (Mum) combines common responses to this eastern-born outsider and cements a sense of trustworthiness that serves her well with the voters.

Patience and pragmatism

A large part of Merkel&rsquo;s success lies in her consummate mastery of the German political system. Quite simply, she has what it takes to win in German politics. She is cautious, pragmatic, strategic, patient, and is imbued with the traditional Christian Democratic certainty that the integration of interests provides a sound basis for governance. She is an outstanding mediator. At times these attributes have infuriated supporters and critics alike, but they have worked for her.

Merkel has a keen instinct for shifts in public opinion and is swift to occupy new ground. This maddens the opposition SPD, which often complains that the union parties are &ldquo;stealing their clothes&rdquo;, making it difficult for them to develop a distinctive policy platform.

Just before the dissolution of parliament ahead of the 2017 election, Merkel engineered the passage of a <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/angela-merkel-ja-zur-ehe-fuer-alle-nicht-aus-ueberzeugung-a-1155042.html">popular bill</a> legalising gay marriage. Although it went against majority opinion within her own party, she didn&rsquo;t want the SPD or the Green Party to be able to capitalise on the issue in the election campaign.

Merkel is frequently criticised for &ldquo;de-politicising&rdquo; government. She tends to a technocratic, pragmatic approach and often sits on the fence. After three terms in office, there are concerns that this &ldquo;Merkel model&rdquo; of governance is smothering the vigorous plural exchanges that ought to characterise democratic interaction between the mainstream parties.

In particular, critics fear that Merkel&rsquo;s current grand coalition (where government power is shared between the leading party and the main party of opposition) is driving out the democratic principle of alternation of government (where there is a real potential for elections to replace one government party with another). With no mainstream opposition to the existing government, voters are drawn to cast a protest vote for radical parties, such as right-wing populists AfD. Moreover, this middle-of-the-road approach blocks reform of outdated policies.

While these are valid arguments, Merkel&rsquo;s depoliticised approach is, in fact, a logical strategy for sustained leadership in the German political system. In order to pass major domestic legislation in Germany, a government has to get a bill passed not only the parliament, in which it has a majority, but also the second legislature, the Bundesrat, where the federal government majority is not replicated. In practice, every government has to &ldquo;collude&rdquo; with opposition forces on a routine basis if it is to be successful.

The &ldquo;boring&rdquo; election campaigns so common in German politics are also a function of the system. Until the votes have been cast and the parliamentary arithmetic is known, neither the CDU/CSU nor the SPD can know for sure how it might work with the other parties in parliament to forge a majority coalition government. The election is only the beginning. Many of the details of the new chancellor&rsquo;s programme will not be settled until the rounds of coalition negotiations that take place immediately afterwards. It makes sense, then, for the two main parties to avoid specifics on their policy platforms. Keeping their powder dry, though, can make the public feel that their main concerns are not being adequately addressed.

Recently, media reports have highlighted unprecedented levels of rage and polarisation in post-war German opinion. The anti-immigrant Pegida movement and the populist <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37274201">Alternative for Germany</a> (AfD) have voiced views that only a few years ago would have been considered completely unacceptable in public discourse. This has carried over into society, where public opinion is hardening against asylum seekers.

<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/84442/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />Some argue that this new German anger can&rsquo;t be dismissed simply as a protest vote for the AfD, but may indicate a more profound disaffection with the Merkel model. But a quick glance at the world outside and the alternative leadership at home seems to have persuaded most voters that this is not the time to throw their toys out of the pram. The Merkel decade has quietly transformed Germany into a world power while protecting the economy from the worst of the fallout from the eurozone crisis. Throughout the postwar period, German voters have shown a strong inclination for predictability: for &ldquo;the devil they know&rdquo;. Perhaps this more than anything else will secure one more term for Merkel.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" nofollow="" rel="">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-angela-merkel-model-or-how-to-succeed-in-german-politics-84442" nofollow="" rel="">original article</a>.

Angela Merkel looks set to continue her magnificent political journey

When Angela Merkel first became Chancellor of Germany in 2005, she was a virtual unknown. Critics were sceptical about her staying power. There were confident predictions that she wouldn’t see out the 100-day honeymoon period traditionally enjoyed by a new incumbent. Now, 12 years on, Merkel is undoubtedly the most powerful woman in the world and a symbol of continuity both at home and abroad. Yet remarkably little is known about her, what drives her and what explains her extraordinary resilience. So who is Angela Merkel and what explains her dominance of Germany’s millennial years? Within her party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Merkel’s rise to political prominence was aided by two factors: she was both fiercely competent and inconspicuous. She was underestimated, even patronised, by party colleagues. Helmut Kohl, the long-serving CDU prime minister who presided over German unification, referred to her as “the girl” (das Mädchen). He never seriously rated her as a challenge for his role. When Kohl became embroiled in a party funding scandal it was Merkel who represented the new face of the CDU, free of the taint of past party sleaze. Kohl apparently never forgave her for usurping him. The appeal of the ordinary Even after three terms in office and after testing the forbearance of the German public with her open doors asylum policy, Merkel remains extraordinarily popular with the German public. Significantly, her popularity extends across all parties. Part of her enduring appeal lies in her unobtrusiveness. For a politician, she is, well, rather ordinary. Merkel has never felt the need to validate herself through a polished public image. She famously wears the same jacket in a dizzying array of colours, because it’s easier than selecting new styles for every public appearance. Her groundedness and indifference to the trappings of the political high life have earned widespread respect. Although entitled to live in a fine official residence at the Brandenburg Gate, she prefers to stay in a small flat she shares with her husband. When she has time, she cooks her own food. A keen football fan, the photos of her and president Joachim Gauck celebrating in the German national squad’s dressing room after their 2014 World Cup win look natural and convincing. In her understated way, Merkel conveys an image of a woman who can’t be bought; who somehow remains outside the privileged elite. Both endearing and slightly demeaning, her nickname of “Mutti” (Mum) combines common responses to this eastern-born outsider and cements a sense of trustworthiness that serves her well with the voters. Patience and pragmatism A large part of Merkel’s success lies in her consummate mastery of the German political system. Quite simply, she has what it takes to win in German politics. She is cautious, pragmatic, strategic, patient, and is imbued with the traditional Christian Democratic certainty that the integration of interests provides a sound basis for governance. She is an outstanding mediator. At times these attributes have infuriated supporters and critics alike, but they have worked for her. Merkel has a keen instinct for shifts in public opinion and is swift to occupy new ground. This maddens the opposition SPD, which often complains that the union parties are “stealing their clothes”, making it difficult for them to develop a distinctive policy platform. Just before the dissolution of parliament ahead of the 2017 election, Merkel engineered the passage of a popular bill legalising gay marriage. Although it went against majority opinion within her own party, she didn’t want the SPD or the Green Party to be able to capitalise on the issue in the election campaign. Merkel is frequently criticised for “de-politicising” government. She tends to a technocratic, pragmatic approach and often sits on the fence. After three terms in office, there are concerns that this “Merkel model” of governance is smothering the vigorous plural exchanges that ought to characterise democratic interaction between the mainstream parties. In particular, critics fear that Merkel’s current grand coalition (where government power is shared between the leading party and the main party of opposition) is driving out the democratic principle of alternation of government (where there is a real potential for elections to replace one government party with another). With no mainstream opposition to the existing government, voters are drawn to cast a protest vote for radical parties, such as right-wing populists AfD. Moreover, this middle-of-the-road approach blocks reform of outdated policies. While these are valid arguments, Merkel’s depoliticised approach is, in fact, a logical strategy for sustained leadership in the German political system. In order to pass major domestic legislation in Germany, a government has to get a bill passed not only the parliament, in which it has a majority, but also the second legislature, the Bundesrat, where the federal government majority is not replicated. In practice, every government has to “collude” with opposition forces on a routine basis if it is to be successful. The “boring” election campaigns so common in German politics are also a function of the system. Until the votes have been cast and the parliamentary arithmetic is known, neither the CDU/CSU nor the SPD can know for sure how it might work with the other parties in parliament to forge a majority coalition government. The election is only the beginning. Many of the details of the new chancellor’s programme will not be settled until the rounds of coalition negotiations that take place immediately afterwards. It makes sense, then, for the two main parties to avoid specifics on their policy platforms. Keeping their powder dry, though, can make the public feel that their main concerns are not being adequately addressed. Recently, media reports have highlighted unprecedented levels of rage and polarisation in post-war German opinion. The anti-immigrant Pegida movement and the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) have voiced views that only a few years ago would have been considered completely unacceptable in public discourse. This has carried over into society, where public opinion is hardening against asylum seekers. Some argue that this new German anger can’t be dismissed simply as a protest vote for the AfD, but may indicate a more profound disaffection with the Merkel model. But a quick glance at the world outside and the alternative leadership at home seems to have persuaded most voters that this is not the time to throw their toys out of the pram. The Merkel decade has quietly transformed Germany into a world power while protecting the economy from the worst of the fallout from the eurozone crisis. Throughout the postwar period, German voters have shown a strong inclination for predictability: for “the devil they know”. Perhaps this more than anything else will secure one more term for Merkel. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

The Angela Merkel model ? or how to succeed in German politics

Police fired water cannon and pepper spray at protesters who had gathered to demonstrate against the G20 summit in Hamburg on Thursday after a group of black-clad demonstrators threw bottles and other objects at riot police.

Nearly 75 police officers were injured throughout the evening, with three requiring treatment in hospital, police told Reuters.&nbsp;

&quot;Police are still being attacked,&quot; a police told AFP. He added hat most of the officers hurt sustained light injuries.

A Reuters eyewitness saw at least one protester with blood on his face being treated.

Several arrests were also made.&nbsp;

The protesters say the G20 has failed to solve many of the issues threatening world peace and were gathering for the demonstration dubbed &quot;Welcome to Hell&quot; by the anti-capitalist groups behind it.

The &quot;Welcome to Hell&quot; march has been called off but thousands of people remained on the streets as night fell intending to march, AFP reported.&nbsp;

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German riot police use water cannons against protesters during the demonstrations during the G20 summit in Hamburg. (Reuters)
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THe fire brigade put out a car set alight during the &quot;Welcome to Hell&quot; rally against the G20 summit in Hamburg. (AFP)
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A man bleeds during the &quot;Welcome to Hell&quot; rally against the G20 summit in Hamburg. (AFP)
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German police&nbsp;expect around 100,000 protesters in Hamburg from around Europe, about 8,000 of whom are deemed by security forces to be ready to commit violence, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

The demonstrations have tarnished the outset of the meeting that German Chancellor Angela Merkel sees as crucial in seeking policy consensus ahead of the election in September.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Police fired water cannon during a clash with protesters demonstrating against the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany

Police fired water cannon and pepper spray at protesters who had gathered to demonstrate against the G20 summit in Hamburg on Thursday after a group of black-clad demonstrators threw bottles and other objects at riot police. Nearly 75 police officers were injured throughout the evening, with three requiring treatment in hospital, police told Reuters. "Police are still being attacked," a police told AFP. He added hat most of the officers hurt sustained light injuries. A Reuters eyewitness saw at least one protester with blood on his face being treated. Several arrests were also made. The protesters say the G20 has failed to solve many of the issues threatening world peace and were gathering for the demonstration dubbed "Welcome to Hell" by the anti-capitalist groups behind it. The "Welcome to Hell" march has been called off but thousands of people remained on the streets as night fell intending to march, AFP reported. German riot police use water cannons against protesters during the demonstrations during the G20 summit in Hamburg. (Reuters) × THe fire brigade put out a car set alight during the "Welcome to Hell" rally against the G20 summit in Hamburg. (AFP) × A man bleeds during the "Welcome to Hell" rally against the G20 summit in Hamburg. (AFP) × German police expect around 100,000 protesters in Hamburg from around Europe, about 8,000 of whom are deemed by security forces to be ready to commit violence, Reuters reported. The demonstrations have tarnished the outset of the meeting that German Chancellor Angela Merkel sees as crucial in seeking policy consensus ahead of the election in September.

Police clash with G20 protesters in Hamburg  as world leaders arrive

In his first address after estimates indicated his victory in the French presidential elections on Sunday, pro-EU and centrist Emmanuel Macron said&nbsp;he would &quot;fight the divisions&quot; in the country.

39-year-old Macron&nbsp;stormed to victory, defeating his far-right rival Marine Le Pen in a run-off vote.

&quot;I have heard the anger, anxiety and doubts that a large number of you expressed,&quot; &nbsp;Macron said in a speech at his campaign headquarters in Paris, AFP reported.&nbsp;

&quot;I will fight with all my strength against the divisions that are undermining us,&quot; he added.

Set to be&nbsp;France&#39;s youngest-ever president, the former economy minister vowed to work to &quot;rebuild the link between Europe and its citizens.&quot;

&quot;A new page in our long history is opening this evening,&quot; the centrist independent said, adding his presidency would be one &quot;of hope and confidence regained&quot;.

&quot;France will be at the forefront of the fight against terrorism,&quot; he said.

Congratulations poured in from leaders around the world.&nbsp;

&quot;I called Emmanuel Macron this evening to warmly congratulate him on his election to the presidency,&quot; outgoing French President Francois Hollande was quoted as saying in a statement.

US president Donald Trump took to Twitter saying he is looking forward to working with Macron.

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Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/861300169438113793">May 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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British Prime Minister Theresa May said she looked forward to working with him on &quot;a wide range of shared priorities&quot;.

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I warmly congratulate <a href="https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron">@EmmanuelMacron</a> on his success and look forward to working with him on a wide range of shared priorities.
&mdash; Theresa May (@theresa_may) <a href="https://twitter.com/theresa_may/status/861301370367987713">May 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s spokesman said Macron&#39;s victory &quot;is a victory for a strong and united Europe and for French-German friendship.&quot;

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he was happy that France chose a &quot;European future&quot;.

European Union &nbsp;Council President Donald Tusk also offered his congratulations and said that the French had chosen &quot;liberty, equality and fraternity&quot; and &quot;said no to the tyranny of fake news&quot;.&nbsp;

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called for a &quot;stable&quot; and &quot;more integrated Europe&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;Congratulations to @EmmanuelMacron, new president of #France. Let us work in France and Spain for a stable, prosperous and more integrated Europe,&quot; Rajoy said in a tweet.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

'A new page in our long history is opening this evening,' the centrist independent said, adding his presidency would be one 'of hope and confidence regained'

In his first address after estimates indicated his victory in the French presidential elections on Sunday, pro-EU and centrist Emmanuel Macron said he would "fight the divisions" in the country. 39-year-old Macron stormed to victory, defeating his far-right rival Marine Le Pen in a run-off vote. "I have heard the anger, anxiety and doubts that a large number of you expressed," Macron said in a speech at his campaign headquarters in Paris, AFP reported. "I will fight with all my strength against the divisions that are undermining us," he added. Set to be France's youngest-ever president, the former economy minister vowed to work to "rebuild the link between Europe and its citizens." "A new page in our long history is opening this evening," the centrist independent said, adding his presidency would be one "of hope and confidence regained". "France will be at the forefront of the fight against terrorism," he said. Congratulations poured in from leaders around the world. "I called Emmanuel Macron this evening to warmly congratulate him on his election to the presidency," outgoing French President Francois Hollande was quoted as saying in a statement. US president Donald Trump took to Twitter saying he is looking forward to working with Macron. Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2017 × British Prime Minister Theresa May said she looked forward to working with him on "a wide range of shared priorities". I warmly congratulate @EmmanuelMacron on his success and look forward to working with him on a wide range of shared priorities. — Theresa May (@theresa_may) May 7, 2017 × German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said Macron's victory "is a victory for a strong and united Europe and for French-German friendship." European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he was happy that France chose a "European future". European Union Council President Donald Tusk also offered his congratulations and said that the French had chosen "liberty, equality and fraternity" and "said no to the tyranny of fake news". Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called for a "stable" and "more integrated Europe". "Congratulations to @EmmanuelMacron, new president of #France. Let us work in France and Spain for a stable, prosperous and more integrated Europe," Rajoy said in a tweet. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Macron vows to 'fight the divisions' in France

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday backed an official check into reported brutal attacks on gay men in Chechnya in his first public comment after German Chancellor Angela Merkel confronted him on the issue.

Putin said he would personally &quot;talk to the prosecutor-general and the interior minister&quot; to ask them to help Kremlin rights ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova check the reports which have caused an international scandal.

&quot;I hope the colleagues respond and support you,&quot; Putin told Moskalkova, whose role is to investigate rights abuses but is widely seen as a loyalist establishment figure.

At a joint press conference with Putin on Tuesday in Moscow, Merkel raised the &quot;very negative reports&quot; and said she had asked Putin to &quot;use his influence to guarantee the rights of minorities.&quot;&nbsp;

While speaking to the Kremlin ombudswoman in televised comments, Putin referred to the reports as &quot;rumours, you could say, about what is happening in our North Caucasus with people of non-traditional orientation,&quot; using a euphemism meaning gay.

In March, the Novaya Gazeta opposition daily reported that Chechen authorities were imprisoning and torturing gay men in the conservative region where homosexuality is taboo.

It said the authorities had detained more than 100 gay men and urged their families to kill them to &quot;wash clean their honour.&quot; At least two had been killed by relatives and a third died after being tortured, it reported.

A group of Chechen men in a safe house near Moscow later confirmed to AFP that they had fled the region in fear of their lives after being beaten and imprisoned.

Chechnya&#39;s strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov has fiercely denied claims of a crackdown in the socially conservative region.

The muscle-bound former insurgent turned Kremlin-loyalist responded to Putin&#39;s comments on Friday by telling journalists his authorities were &quot;ready to closely cooperate&quot; with Moskalkova, RIA Novosti news agency reported.

But he claimed that majority-Muslim Chechnya does not have any gay people and suggested some gay people may be pretending to be Chechen to get asylum in the West.

&quot;Chechen society does not have the phenomenon called non-traditional sexual orientation: its people have lived for thousands of years according to different rules laid down by Allah,&quot; Kadyrov said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov initially downplayed the reports, saying there had been &quot;no confirmation&quot; of violence and arrests.

After a delay, Russian investigators have said they are probing the allegations.&nbsp;

Moskalkova said last month there had been no official complaints from victims.&nbsp;

But on Friday she said that there needed to be a mechanism for victims to report abuse when they are outside Chechnya and asked Putin to help create a working group to receive such complaints. She stressed that victims&#39; anonymity will be protected.

This week, the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden wrote to their Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to press for an immediate end to any persecution of gay men in Chechnya.

(AFP)

In March, the Novaya Gazeta opposition daily reported that Chechen authorities were imprisoning and torturing gay men in the conservative region where homosexuality is taboo.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday backed an official check into reported brutal attacks on gay men in Chechnya in his first public comment after German Chancellor Angela Merkel confronted him on the issue. Putin said he would personally "talk to the prosecutor-general and the interior minister" to ask them to help Kremlin rights ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova check the reports which have caused an international scandal. "I hope the colleagues respond and support you," Putin told Moskalkova, whose role is to investigate rights abuses but is widely seen as a loyalist establishment figure. At a joint press conference with Putin on Tuesday in Moscow, Merkel raised the "very negative reports" and said she had asked Putin to "use his influence to guarantee the rights of minorities." While speaking to the Kremlin ombudswoman in televised comments, Putin referred to the reports as "rumours, you could say, about what is happening in our North Caucasus with people of non-traditional orientation," using a euphemism meaning gay. In March, the Novaya Gazeta opposition daily reported that Chechen authorities were imprisoning and torturing gay men in the conservative region where homosexuality is taboo. It said the authorities had detained more than 100 gay men and urged their families to kill them to "wash clean their honour." At least two had been killed by relatives and a third died after being tortured, it reported. A group of Chechen men in a safe house near Moscow later confirmed to AFP that they had fled the region in fear of their lives after being beaten and imprisoned. Chechnya's strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov has fiercely denied claims of a crackdown in the socially conservative region. The muscle-bound former insurgent turned Kremlin-loyalist responded to Putin's comments on Friday by telling journalists his authorities were "ready to closely cooperate" with Moskalkova, RIA Novosti news agency reported. But he claimed that majority-Muslim Chechnya does not have any gay people and suggested some gay people may be pretending to be Chechen to get asylum in the West. "Chechen society does not have the phenomenon called non-traditional sexual orientation: its people have lived for thousands of years according to different rules laid down by Allah," Kadyrov said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov initially downplayed the reports, saying there had been "no confirmation" of violence and arrests. After a delay, Russian investigators have said they are probing the allegations. Moskalkova said last month there had been no official complaints from victims. But on Friday she said that there needed to be a mechanism for victims to report abuse when they are outside Chechnya and asked Putin to help create a working group to receive such complaints. She stressed that victims' anonymity will be protected. This week, the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden wrote to their Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to press for an immediate end to any persecution of gay men in Chechnya. (AFP)

After Merkel plea, Putin backs probe into Chechen gay attacks

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Vladimir Putin insisted Tuesday that there was no alternative to a stalled Ukraine peace plan as they struggled to mask deep rifts during a first meeting in Russia since 2015.

Merkel pushed Putin at a frosty encounter to ensure a ceasefire in war-torn east Ukraine, but the Russian leader laid the blame on Kiev for a European-brokered peace deal hitting a dead end.&nbsp;

The rare visit also saw the German chancellor confront Putin over rights issues in Russia, including the alleged persecution of gay men in the North Caucasus region of Chechnya.&nbsp;

&quot;I think we have differences but international politics means to always keep looking for dialogue,&quot; Merkel said at a press conference in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi.&nbsp;

The meeting was meant to focus on preparations for the G20 summit in Hamburg in July, and no major breakthroughs were expected on mending the deep divisions caused by the conflict in Ukraine.&nbsp;

The German leader has strongly backed EU sanctions on Russia for seizing Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and for supporting a pro-Kremlin separatist insurgency in the east of the country.

Merkel said she hoped some of the sanctions could be lifted if a flatlining peace plan brokered by her and French President Francois Hollande in 2015 was fulfilled.

And both leaders admitted there was no choice but to stick to the process despite its running into a brick wall amid recriminations from all sides.&nbsp;

&quot;We cannot think about any alternative and we should not have to think of it,&quot; Putin said at a press conference.&nbsp;

&quot;It is impossible to create new plans without achieving elementary results for what we outlined in previous years.&quot;

Gay rights

Merkel last visited Russia in May 2015 when she met Putin in Moscow, and the two leaders have scaled back contacts as the Ukraine crisis has driven ties to a post-Cold War low.&nbsp;

Putin talked up economic ties between the two countries, insisting that &quot;our cooperation makes a significant contribution to stabilising the world economy.&quot;

But it was clear that despite pledges to talk there remain deep gulfs between the German leader -- seen as a major bulwark of the Western liberal order -- and the Kremlin strongman, who many accuse of trying to undermine it.&nbsp;

At the press conference Merkel said she raised recent high-profile accusations of rights abuses in Russia, including allegations the authorities in Chechnya were rounding up gay men.&nbsp;

&quot;We received very negative reports about how homosexuals are treated in Chechnya,&quot; Merkel said. &quot;I asked President Putin to use his influence to guarantee the rights of minorities.&quot;

Ramzan Kadyrov, the Putin-loyalist and strongman leader of Chechnya, has fiercely denied claims of a crackdown in the socially conservative region, and after a delay Russian investigators said they are probing the allegations.&nbsp;

Putin was also forced to deny that Russia was planning to meddle in German elections that Merkel is competing in later in the year after claims that Moscow interfered with the US presidential vote.&nbsp;

&quot;We never interfered in the political life or the political processes of any other country,&quot; Putin said.&nbsp;

Trump talk, Erdogan meeting

The meeting with Merkel comes ahead of a busy diplomatic push for Putin.

After meeting Merkel, he was expected later Tuesday to hold his third phone call with US President Donald Trump.

The two leaders are looking to make headway on ties in the face of deep rifts over the conflict in Syria and after claims of Russian hacking during the US elections.&nbsp;

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also due to meet Putin in Sochi on Wednesday.

Putin and Erdogan have inched closer together on Syria as Erdogan&#39;s ties with Europe have deteriorated in recent months.

(AFP)

The rare visit saw the German chancellor confront Putin over the alleged persecution of gay men in Chechnya

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Vladimir Putin insisted Tuesday that there was no alternative to a stalled Ukraine peace plan as they struggled to mask deep rifts during a first meeting in Russia since 2015. Merkel pushed Putin at a frosty encounter to ensure a ceasefire in war-torn east Ukraine, but the Russian leader laid the blame on Kiev for a European-brokered peace deal hitting a dead end. The rare visit also saw the German chancellor confront Putin over rights issues in Russia, including the alleged persecution of gay men in the North Caucasus region of Chechnya. "I think we have differences but international politics means to always keep looking for dialogue," Merkel said at a press conference in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi. The meeting was meant to focus on preparations for the G20 summit in Hamburg in July, and no major breakthroughs were expected on mending the deep divisions caused by the conflict in Ukraine. The German leader has strongly backed EU sanctions on Russia for seizing Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and for supporting a pro-Kremlin separatist insurgency in the east of the country. Merkel said she hoped some of the sanctions could be lifted if a flatlining peace plan brokered by her and French President Francois Hollande in 2015 was fulfilled. And both leaders admitted there was no choice but to stick to the process despite its running into a brick wall amid recriminations from all sides. "We cannot think about any alternative and we should not have to think of it," Putin said at a press conference. "It is impossible to create new plans without achieving elementary results for what we outlined in previous years." Gay rights Merkel last visited Russia in May 2015 when she met Putin in Moscow, and the two leaders have scaled back contacts as the Ukraine crisis has driven ties to a post-Cold War low. Putin talked up economic ties between the two countries, insisting that "our cooperation makes a significant contribution to stabilising the world economy." But it was clear that despite pledges to talk there remain deep gulfs between the German leader -- seen as a major bulwark of the Western liberal order -- and the Kremlin strongman, who many accuse of trying to undermine it. At the press conference Merkel said she raised recent high-profile accusations of rights abuses in Russia, including allegations the authorities in Chechnya were rounding up gay men. "We received very negative reports about how homosexuals are treated in Chechnya," Merkel said. "I asked President Putin to use his influence to guarantee the rights of minorities." Ramzan Kadyrov, the Putin-loyalist and strongman leader of Chechnya, has fiercely denied claims of a crackdown in the socially conservative region, and after a delay Russian investigators said they are probing the allegations. Putin was also forced to deny that Russia was planning to meddle in German elections that Merkel is competing in later in the year after claims that Moscow interfered with the US presidential vote. "We never interfered in the political life or the political processes of any other country," Putin said. Trump talk, Erdogan meeting The meeting with Merkel comes ahead of a busy diplomatic push for Putin. After meeting Merkel, he was expected later Tuesday to hold his third phone call with US President Donald Trump. The two leaders are looking to make headway on ties in the face of deep rifts over the conflict in Syria and after claims of Russian hacking during the US elections. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also due to meet Putin in Sochi on Wednesday. Putin and Erdogan have inched closer together on Syria as Erdogan's ties with Europe have deteriorated in recent months. (AFP)

Merkel pushes Putin on Ukraine, gay rights

The number of people applying for asylum in Germany has dropped steeply, figures showed on Monday, a sign that a deal between the European Union and Turkey to stem the flow of migrants is working.

The huge influx of migrants to Germany in the past two years has eroded the popularity of Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of national elections in September and fuelled the rise of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

But the AfD has seen its support plunge in polls since the sharp slowdown in the flow of migrants after the deal between the EU and Ankara was reached a year ago.

Around 47,300 people arrived in Germany between January and March, mostly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, while 60,000 applied for asylum in that period, down two-thirds from the same period a year ago, the interior ministry said.

The German office for migration and refugees ruled on 222,395 asylum applications from January to March. About half the individuals were allowed to stay in Germany for the time being, but only a fifth were granted full refugee status.

Migrants who arrive in Germany are first registered at reception centres where they have to wait for months before they can file an asylum application, creating a huge backlog.

At the end of March, there were still around 278,000 outstanding applications to process, the ministry said.

A failed asylum-seeker from Tunisia killed 12 people in December by ramming a truck into a Berlin Christmas market, fuelling accusations by Merkel&#39;s opponents that mass immigration is making Germany more vulnerable to Islamist attacks.

(Reuters)

The huge influx of migrants to Germany in the past two years has eroded the popularity of Angela Merkel ahead of polls

The number of people applying for asylum in Germany has dropped steeply, figures showed on Monday, a sign that a deal between the European Union and Turkey to stem the flow of migrants is working. The huge influx of migrants to Germany in the past two years has eroded the popularity of Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of national elections in September and fuelled the rise of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. But the AfD has seen its support plunge in polls since the sharp slowdown in the flow of migrants after the deal between the EU and Ankara was reached a year ago. Around 47,300 people arrived in Germany between January and March, mostly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, while 60,000 applied for asylum in that period, down two-thirds from the same period a year ago, the interior ministry said. The German office for migration and refugees ruled on 222,395 asylum applications from January to March. About half the individuals were allowed to stay in Germany for the time being, but only a fifth were granted full refugee status. Migrants who arrive in Germany are first registered at reception centres where they have to wait for months before they can file an asylum application, creating a huge backlog. At the end of March, there were still around 278,000 outstanding applications to process, the ministry said. A failed asylum-seeker from Tunisia killed 12 people in December by ramming a truck into a Berlin Christmas market, fuelling accusations by Merkel's opponents that mass immigration is making Germany more vulnerable to Islamist attacks. (Reuters)

Migrant arrival in Germany drops in 2017

President Donald Trump reiterated his strong support for NATO on Friday and pressed German Chancellor Angela Merkel to meet NATO&#39;s military spending target, in the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders.

The meeting between the leader of Europe&#39;s largest economy and the US president was billed as one that could help determine the future of the transatlantic alliance and shape their working relationship.

&quot;I reiterated to Chancellor Merkel my strong support for NATO as well as the need for our NATO allies to pay their fair share for the cost of defence,&quot; Trump said at a joint news conference with Merkel.

Merkel said she told Trump Germany needs to meet NATO spending goals. The two also discussed Ukraine and Afghanistan.

Trump said he expected the United States to do &quot;fantastically well&quot; in trade with Germany, while Merkel said she hoped the United States and the European Union could resume discussions on a trade agreement. Trump said he did not believe in isolationism but that trade policy should be fairer.

&quot;We held a conversation where we were trying to address also those areas where we disagree, but we tried to bring people together ... (and) tried to find a compromise that is good for both sides,&quot; Merkel said.

Trump said he &quot;very seldom&quot; regrets anything he tweets, brushing off questions about his claims without evidence that his predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama, wiretapped him during last year`s presidential campaign.

Trump said, &quot;At least we have something in common,&quot; apparently referring to reports during Obama`s presidency that the United States bugged her phone. Congressional leaders from both political parties say they do not believe Trump was wiretapped.

Earlier, the new US president greeted the long-serving stateswoman at the White House with a handshake before they began talks in the Oval Office. Both leaders described their meeting in brief remarks to reporters as having been very good.&nbsp; 
The meeting is consequential for both sides.&nbsp;

As a presidential candidate, Trump criticized Merkel for allowing hundreds of thousands of refugees into Germany. At the news conference, Merkel hinted at differences, saying: &quot;This is obviously something we had an exchange of views about.&quot;

Relationship building is a less overt but important agenda item. Merkel had close relations with Trump&#39;s Democratic and Republican predecessors, Barack Obama and George W. Bush, and she is likely to seek a strong working relationship with Trump despite major policy differences and wariness in Germany about the former New York businessman.

&quot;Those who know the chancellor know that she has a knack for winning over people in personal discussions. I am sure that Donald Trump will not be immune,&quot; said Juergen Hardt, a conservative lawmaker who helps coordinate transatlantic relations for the German government.

(Reuters)

The meeting between Trump and Merkel is seen as important in determining the future of the transatlantic alliance

President Donald Trump reiterated his strong support for NATO on Friday and pressed German Chancellor Angela Merkel to meet NATO's military spending target, in the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders. The meeting between the leader of Europe's largest economy and the US president was billed as one that could help determine the future of the transatlantic alliance and shape their working relationship. "I reiterated to Chancellor Merkel my strong support for NATO as well as the need for our NATO allies to pay their fair share for the cost of defence," Trump said at a joint news conference with Merkel. Merkel said she told Trump Germany needs to meet NATO spending goals. The two also discussed Ukraine and Afghanistan. Trump said he expected the United States to do "fantastically well" in trade with Germany, while Merkel said she hoped the United States and the European Union could resume discussions on a trade agreement. Trump said he did not believe in isolationism but that trade policy should be fairer. "We held a conversation where we were trying to address also those areas where we disagree, but we tried to bring people together ... (and) tried to find a compromise that is good for both sides," Merkel said. Trump said he "very seldom" regrets anything he tweets, brushing off questions about his claims without evidence that his predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama, wiretapped him during last year`s presidential campaign. Trump said, "At least we have something in common," apparently referring to reports during Obama`s presidency that the United States bugged her phone. Congressional leaders from both political parties say they do not believe Trump was wiretapped. Earlier, the new US president greeted the long-serving stateswoman at the White House with a handshake before they began talks in the Oval Office. Both leaders described their meeting in brief remarks to reporters as having been very good. The meeting is consequential for both sides. As a presidential candidate, Trump criticized Merkel for allowing hundreds of thousands of refugees into Germany. At the news conference, Merkel hinted at differences, saying: "This is obviously something we had an exchange of views about." Relationship building is a less overt but important agenda item. Merkel had close relations with Trump's Democratic and Republican predecessors, Barack Obama and George W. Bush, and she is likely to seek a strong working relationship with Trump despite major policy differences and wariness in Germany about the former New York businessman. "Those who know the chancellor know that she has a knack for winning over people in personal discussions. I am sure that Donald Trump will not be immune," said Juergen Hardt, a conservative lawmaker who helps coordinate transatlantic relations for the German government. (Reuters)

US President Trump demands NATO dues in first meeting with Germany's Merkel

Large swaths of the US East Coast declared a state of emergency, cancelled flights and shut&nbsp;schools&nbsp;as&nbsp;millions&nbsp;braced for potentially the worst winter storm of the season with up to two feet of snow forecast to fall.

Winter Storm Stella is expected to begin overnight with accumulation becoming&nbsp;most&nbsp;intense Tuesday morning,&nbsp;combined with winds of up to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) to cause treacherous whiteout conditions.

The alarming forecast forced the postponement of the first meeting between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Washington from Tuesday until Friday.

New York and New Jersey declared states of emergency.

The National Weather Service issued a 24-hour blizzard warning from midnight Monday (0400 GMT Tuesday) for New York, America&#39;s financial capital and largest city, stretching north into Connecticut and south into New Jersey.

Additional winter storm warnings were posted from southern Maine to Virginia, south of Washington, where the National Park Service warned that the blustery weather could wipe out up to 90 per cent of the city&#39;s famed cherry blossoms.

In New York, UN headquarters will close and Wall Street largely expected to work from home with low trade volume anticipated, if also due to Wednesday&#39;s decision from the Federal Reserve on whether to raise interest rates.

More than 6,500 US flights were cancelled for Monday and Tuesday, with airports in New York, Boston, Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia hardest hit, according to the tracking service FlightAware.

Schools will close Tuesday in New York, Providence, Rhode Island and in towns across Connecticut and Massachusetts. In New York City, home to 8.4 million people, Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a state of emergency from midnight.

Blizzard conditions&nbsp; 
 
Non-essential state workers were told to stay home. In Connecticut, the governor announced a statewide travel ban from 5 am as Americans across the heavily populated northeast were advised to stay off the roads.

Trump, facing the first major weather event of his presidency after a mild winter, said Monday he had spoken to Homeland Security and that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was ready to provide assistance if necessary.

&quot;Everybody in government is fully prepared and ready,&quot; he said. &quot;Let&#39;s hope it&#39;s not going to be as bad as some people are predicting. Usually it isn&#39;t.&quot;

But de Blasio wasn&#39;t taking any chances, with 16 to 24 inches (41 to 61 centimeters) of snow forecast for New York and expected to fall as quickly as two to four inches an hour.

&quot;We&#39;re tracking a major storm with blizzard conditions,&quot; said de Blasio.&nbsp;

&quot;High end could be as much as 24 inches which would therefore put this in the category of one of the biggest snowstorms in recent memory,&quot; he said.

New York last year experienced the biggest snowstorm in the city&#39;s history with a record 27.3 inches falling in Central Park in 24 hours. Winter Storm Jonas paralysed parts of the Northeast and left 18 people dead.

This week&#39;s Winter Storm Stella formed near the coast, the collision of two low pressure systems expected to dump snow on a wide area home to tens of millions of Americans from the central Appalachian Mountains to New England.

Worst of season 
 
The heaviest snow is expected to wallop New York, parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Vermont.

&quot;We&#39;re expecting it to be the worst snow of the season,&quot; National Weather Service meteorologist Melissa Di Spigna told AFP, following winter temperatures &quot;well above normal&quot; this year.

The National Weather Service cautioned that the storm could bring record-low temperatures, as well as &quot;difficult travel and power outages.&quot;&nbsp;

Temperatures on Monday were already icy, with afternoon highs hovering around the freezing point.

Around 5,000 flights within, into or out of the United States have been cancelled for Tuesday, mostly along the East Coast, according to FlightAware.

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo instructed residents to have seven to 10 days&#39; supply of food and an emergency supply of bottled water.

In New York, the subway will be suspended above ground at 4am (0800 GMT) and express subway service will end at midnight, with bus and commuter rail services into Long Island and north of the city also likely to be suspended.

In Washington, the Metro is planning to operate on a Saturday schedule and Metrobus will start the day on a &quot;severe&quot; modified schedule. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

A 24-hour blizzard warning has been issued for New York, stretching north into Connecticut and south into New Jersey

Large swaths of the US East Coast declared a state of emergency, cancelled flights and shut schools as millions braced for potentially the worst winter storm of the season with up to two feet of snow forecast to fall. Winter Storm Stella is expected to begin overnight with accumulation becoming most intense Tuesday morning, combined with winds of up to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) to cause treacherous whiteout conditions. The alarming forecast forced the postponement of the first meeting between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Washington from Tuesday until Friday. New York and New Jersey declared states of emergency. The National Weather Service issued a 24-hour blizzard warning from midnight Monday (0400 GMT Tuesday) for New York, America's financial capital and largest city, stretching north into Connecticut and south into New Jersey. Additional winter storm warnings were posted from southern Maine to Virginia, south of Washington, where the National Park Service warned that the blustery weather could wipe out up to 90 per cent of the city's famed cherry blossoms. In New York, UN headquarters will close and Wall Street largely expected to work from home with low trade volume anticipated, if also due to Wednesday's decision from the Federal Reserve on whether to raise interest rates. More than 6,500 US flights were cancelled for Monday and Tuesday, with airports in New York, Boston, Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia hardest hit, according to the tracking service FlightAware. Schools will close Tuesday in New York, Providence, Rhode Island and in towns across Connecticut and Massachusetts. In New York City, home to 8.4 million people, Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a state of emergency from midnight. Blizzard conditions Non-essential state workers were told to stay home. In Connecticut, the governor announced a statewide travel ban from 5 am as Americans across the heavily populated northeast were advised to stay off the roads. Trump, facing the first major weather event of his presidency after a mild winter, said Monday he had spoken to Homeland Security and that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was ready to provide assistance if necessary. "Everybody in government is fully prepared and ready," he said. "Let's hope it's not going to be as bad as some people are predicting. Usually it isn't." But de Blasio wasn't taking any chances, with 16 to 24 inches (41 to 61 centimeters) of snow forecast for New York and expected to fall as quickly as two to four inches an hour. "We're tracking a major storm with blizzard conditions," said de Blasio. "High end could be as much as 24 inches which would therefore put this in the category of one of the biggest snowstorms in recent memory," he said. New York last year experienced the biggest snowstorm in the city's history with a record 27.3 inches falling in Central Park in 24 hours. Winter Storm Jonas paralysed parts of the Northeast and left 18 people dead. This week's Winter Storm Stella formed near the coast, the collision of two low pressure systems expected to dump snow on a wide area home to tens of millions of Americans from the central Appalachian Mountains to New England. Worst of season The heaviest snow is expected to wallop New York, parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Vermont. "We're expecting it to be the worst snow of the season," National Weather Service meteorologist Melissa Di Spigna told AFP, following winter temperatures "well above normal" this year. The National Weather Service cautioned that the storm could bring record-low temperatures, as well as "difficult travel and power outages." Temperatures on Monday were already icy, with afternoon highs hovering around the freezing point. Around 5,000 flights within, into or out of the United States have been cancelled for Tuesday, mostly along the East Coast, according to FlightAware. New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo instructed residents to have seven to 10 days' supply of food and an emergency supply of bottled water. In New York, the subway will be suspended above ground at 4am (0800 GMT) and express subway service will end at midnight, with bus and commuter rail services into Long Island and north of the city also likely to be suspended. In Washington, the Metro is planning to operate on a Saturday schedule and Metrobus will start the day on a "severe" modified schedule. (AFP)

Trump, Merkel meet cancelled over alarming snowstorm predictions

Turkey on Monday said it was suspending top-level ties with The Netherlands and blocking the return of its ambassador in a spiralling crisis over the holding of rallies abroad ahead of a crucial referendum.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of &quot;supporting terrorists,&quot; as acrimony flared between Turkey and EU states -- a standoff that risks affecting Ankara&#39;s entire relationship with Europe.

&quot;Until the Netherlands compensates for what it has done, high-level relations and planned meetings at a ministerial and higher level have been suspended,&quot; said Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus after a cabinet meeting in Ankara.

Turkey will not allow the Dutch ambassador to Ankara to return until The Netherlands meets Turkey&#39;s conditions over holding rallies, he added. Diplomatic flights would also be suspended.

Ambassador Kees Cornelis van Rij is currently outside of the country, and business is being handled by Dutch &nbsp;charge d&#39;affaires.

Both Germany and The Netherlands have blocked Turkish ministers from staging rallies to court the vote of expatriate Turks in the April 16 referendum on giving Erdogan greater powers.

Ankara was especially angered by the acts of The Netherlands days ahead of general elections in the country. The authorities prevented the foreign minister&#39;s plane from landing and expelled the family minister over the weekend.

&nbsp;Twice over the weekend, Erdogan accused The Netherlands, a NATO ally, of acting like the Nazis.

His comments sparked outrage in a country bombed and occupied by German forces in World War II.

With the exchanges worsening Turkey&#39;s already fraught relations with the European Union, Brussels sternly warned Ankara to avoid intensifying the crisis.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn called on Turkey to &quot;refrain from excessive statements and actions that risk further exacerbating the situation.&quot;

But hours later in an interview with A-Haber television, Erdogan bluntly stated: &quot;Mrs Merkel, you are supporting terrorists.&quot;

He accused Berlin of not responding to 4,500 dossiers sent by Ankara on terror suspects, including those linked to Kurdish militants and the failed coup in Turkey last year.&nbsp;

&quot;Mrs Merkel, why are you hiding terrorists in your country?... Why are you not doing anything?&quot;

Erdogan&#39;s comments against Germany absurd: Angela Merkel

Merkel&#39;s spokesman described the accusations as &quot;absurd&quot;, saying the chancellor had no intention of taking part in a &quot;competition of provocations&quot;.&nbsp;

Turkey&#39;s EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik also said Ankara &quot;should re-evaluate&quot; a key part of a 2016 deal to stem the flow of migrants to the EU.

He said Turkey should look at its policy on preventing migrant flows across land borders, although it would keep halting the illegal and dangerous sea crossings as a matter of human responsibility, state media said.

Dutch authorities at the weekend prevented the plane of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu from landing and blocked Family Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya from holding a rally in Rotterdam.

The ministers had been seeking to harness the support of an estimated 400,000 people of Turkish origin living in the country ahead of the April 16 referendum on constitutional changes.

Bringing out the millions-strong expatriate vote could be key in a referendum that could be a turning point in Turkey&#39;s modern history.

Erdogan said the ministers would make the &quot;necessary applications&quot; to the European Court of Human Rights over their treatment.

Meanwhile Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is under pressure to take a hard line against Erdogan as he faces the far-right populist Geert Wilders in general elections on Wednesday.

Netherlands, Germany issue travel advisories for Turkey

The Netherlands also issued a new travel warning to Dutch citizens, urging them to stay &quot;alert across the whole of Turkey&quot;. And Germany warned its citizens to take note of &quot;increased political tensions and protests that could be directed against Germany&quot;.

Turkey had already responded furiously to fellow NATO ally Germany&#39;s refusal to give permission for ministers to hold rallies there, with Erdogan comparing such action to &quot;Nazi practices&quot;.

After Erdogan used the same language to scold the Netherlands, Merkel said on Monday that the comparison was &quot;completely wrong&quot; and &quot;banalises suffering&quot;.

&#39;Lifeline for Erdogan&#39;&nbsp; 
 
The issue risks spiralling into a crisis with the EU as a whole, which Turkey has sought to join for more than half a century.

Erdogan, who has indicated he may personally travel to EU states to address rallies said Sunday that the West was showing its &quot;true face&quot; in the standoff.

The immediate effect of the row, however, may aid Erdogan, Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Programme at The Washington Institute, told AFP.

&quot;By blocking (the rallies), they may have given Erdogan a lifeline to eke out a victory in the referendum,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

Turkey says it will not allow the Dutch ambassador to Ankara to return until The Netherlands meets its conditions over holding rallies

Turkey on Monday said it was suspending top-level ties with The Netherlands and blocking the return of its ambassador in a spiralling crisis over the holding of rallies abroad ahead of a crucial referendum. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of "supporting terrorists," as acrimony flared between Turkey and EU states -- a standoff that risks affecting Ankara's entire relationship with Europe. "Until the Netherlands compensates for what it has done, high-level relations and planned meetings at a ministerial and higher level have been suspended," said Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus after a cabinet meeting in Ankara. Turkey will not allow the Dutch ambassador to Ankara to return until The Netherlands meets Turkey's conditions over holding rallies, he added. Diplomatic flights would also be suspended. Ambassador Kees Cornelis van Rij is currently outside of the country, and business is being handled by Dutch charge d'affaires. Both Germany and The Netherlands have blocked Turkish ministers from staging rallies to court the vote of expatriate Turks in the April 16 referendum on giving Erdogan greater powers. Ankara was especially angered by the acts of The Netherlands days ahead of general elections in the country. The authorities prevented the foreign minister's plane from landing and expelled the family minister over the weekend. Twice over the weekend, Erdogan accused The Netherlands, a NATO ally, of acting like the Nazis. His comments sparked outrage in a country bombed and occupied by German forces in World War II. With the exchanges worsening Turkey's already fraught relations with the European Union, Brussels sternly warned Ankara to avoid intensifying the crisis. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn called on Turkey to "refrain from excessive statements and actions that risk further exacerbating the situation." But hours later in an interview with A-Haber television, Erdogan bluntly stated: "Mrs Merkel, you are supporting terrorists." He accused Berlin of not responding to 4,500 dossiers sent by Ankara on terror suspects, including those linked to Kurdish militants and the failed coup in Turkey last year. "Mrs Merkel, why are you hiding terrorists in your country?... Why are you not doing anything?" Erdogan's comments against Germany absurd: Angela Merkel Merkel's spokesman described the accusations as "absurd", saying the chancellor had no intention of taking part in a "competition of provocations". Turkey's EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik also said Ankara "should re-evaluate" a key part of a 2016 deal to stem the flow of migrants to the EU. He said Turkey should look at its policy on preventing migrant flows across land borders, although it would keep halting the illegal and dangerous sea crossings as a matter of human responsibility, state media said. Dutch authorities at the weekend prevented the plane of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu from landing and blocked Family Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya from holding a rally in Rotterdam. The ministers had been seeking to harness the support of an estimated 400,000 people of Turkish origin living in the country ahead of the April 16 referendum on constitutional changes. Bringing out the millions-strong expatriate vote could be key in a referendum that could be a turning point in Turkey's modern history. Erdogan said the ministers would make the "necessary applications" to the European Court of Human Rights over their treatment. Meanwhile Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is under pressure to take a hard line against Erdogan as he faces the far-right populist Geert Wilders in general elections on Wednesday. Netherlands, Germany issue travel advisories for Turkey The Netherlands also issued a new travel warning to Dutch citizens, urging them to stay "alert across the whole of Turkey". And Germany warned its citizens to take note of "increased political tensions and protests that could be directed against Germany". Turkey had already responded furiously to fellow NATO ally Germany's refusal to give permission for ministers to hold rallies there, with Erdogan comparing such action to "Nazi practices". After Erdogan used the same language to scold the Netherlands, Merkel said on Monday that the comparison was "completely wrong" and "banalises suffering". 'Lifeline for Erdogan' The issue risks spiralling into a crisis with the EU as a whole, which Turkey has sought to join for more than half a century. Erdogan, who has indicated he may personally travel to EU states to address rallies said Sunday that the West was showing its "true face" in the standoff. The immediate effect of the row, however, may aid Erdogan, Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Programme at The Washington Institute, told AFP. "By blocking (the rallies), they may have given Erdogan a lifeline to eke out a victory in the referendum," he said. (AFP)

Turkey suspends top-level ties with Netherlands as row worsens

The southern German state of Bavaria has decided to ban full-face veils in public places like schools, universities, government workplaces and polling stations.

The regional government drafted a law to ban the full-face veil for civil servants, and in public places where there are concerns for public safety.&nbsp;

&quot;Communication happens not only via language but also via looks, facial expressions and gestures,&quot; Bavarian interior minister Joachim Herrmann said.

&quot;It&#39;s the foundation of our interactions with each other and it&#39;s the basis of our free and democratic order. Concealing your face is at odds with this culture of communication,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

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<h5>The Bavarian conservatives that govern the region, the sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s, are worried about the rise in popularity of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD)</h5>
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He expects the regional parliament of Bavaria to approve&nbsp;the law.&nbsp;

Elections are due in Germany in seven months and immigration is expected to dominate campaigning.

The Bavarian conservatives that govern the region, the sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s, are worried about the rise in popularity of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD).

In December, Chancellor Angela Merkel called for a ban on full-face Muslim veils &quot;wherever legally possible&quot;, after she suffered electoral setbacks in regional elections where the AfD managed to get a significant vote share.&nbsp;

France and Belgium have already banned burqas.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

'Communication happens not only via language but also via looks, facial expressions and gestures,' the Bavarian interior minister said

The southern German state of Bavaria has decided to ban full-face veils in public places like schools, universities, government workplaces and polling stations. The regional government drafted a law to ban the full-face veil for civil servants, and in public places where there are concerns for public safety. "Communication happens not only via language but also via looks, facial expressions and gestures," Bavarian interior minister Joachim Herrmann said. "It's the foundation of our interactions with each other and it's the basis of our free and democratic order. Concealing your face is at odds with this culture of communication," he added. The Bavarian conservatives that govern the region, the sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel's, are worried about the rise in popularity of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) × He expects the regional parliament of Bavaria to approve the law. Elections are due in Germany in seven months and immigration is expected to dominate campaigning. The Bavarian conservatives that govern the region, the sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel's, are worried about the rise in popularity of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD). In December, Chancellor Angela Merkel called for a ban on full-face Muslim veils "wherever legally possible", after she suffered electoral setbacks in regional elections where the AfD managed to get a significant vote share. France and Belgium have already banned burqas. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Bavaria drafts law to ban full-face veil months before German elections

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday urged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to ensure full freedom of expression in Turkey, ahead of a crucial referendum on constitutional change.

Making her first visit to Turkey since July`s failed coup, Merkel held tense talks with Erdogan seeking to repair a key relationship battered by a series of crises over the last months.

But as Turkey prepares for an expected April referendum on constitutional changes that opponents fear will grant Erdogan one-man rule, the splits on key issues between the two NATO allies were still wide.

&quot;I emphasised from my side that in this far-reaching change the separation of powers and freedom of expression must be ensured,&quot; Merkel said after talks with Erdogan at his presidential palace in Ankara.

Merkel added she had also passed on concerns over press freedom and the accreditation of German journalists in Turkey, many of whom have not received approval to work in 2017.

According to the P24 press monitoring group, 94 Turkish journalists are being held behind bars within the state of emergency declared after the coup.

But Turkish presidential sources said after the meeting that on the subject of press freedoms &quot;German authorities sometimes make statements based on wrong, incomplete or biased information&quot;.

Merkel added that the referendum on constitutional change could be monitored by a delegation from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) &quot;so that what the people want is guaranteed&quot;.

But Erdogan immediately countered it was false to maintain there would be any end to the separation of powers under the new system.

&quot;The legislative is still there. So is the executive and the judiciary. Their dissolution... is out of the question,&quot; said the Turkish president.

Further tension came when Merkel spoke of the need to fight &quot;Islamist terrorism&quot;, with Erdogan bridling at the expression which he said upset Muslims and was not correct as Islam is a religion of peace.

&quot;Please let`s not use it. As long as it is used we need to stand against it,&quot; said Erdogan, looking directly at Merkel.

Berlin has repeatedly expressed unease over the extent of the post-coup crackdown that has seen some 43,000 people arrested, under a state of emergency that has now lasted over half a year.

Erdogan, meanwhile, is exasperated that Germany has not responded to requests for the extradition of hundreds of suspects linked to the coup, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers` Party (PKK) and the ultra-left.

Last week it was reported that 40 Turkish soldiers stationed at NATO bases had asked Berlin for asylum, with Turkey pressing for the bids to be rejected.

Merkel emphasised that Germany was Turkey`s partner in the fight against terror but could only act against suspects &quot;when we have evidence and it is examined by the courts&quot;.

After his talks with Merkel, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Ankara wanted to see &quot;more support from Germany&quot; in extraditing alleged PKK militants and supporters of Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen whom Ankara blames for the coup bid.&nbsp;

Merkel also wants Turkey to keep implementing a deal that has so far successfully reduced migrant flows to Europe, despite threats by Erdogan to walk away from it due to a failure to fulfil a pledge to grant Turks visa-free travel.

&quot;The refugee issue is very important for Turkey and also the EU and Germany,&quot; she said, adding the deal was in their &quot;mutual interest&quot;.

Opposition Republican People`s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu had expressed unease at the visit, fearing that Merkel`s presence could buttress Erdogan ahead of the referendum.

But Merkel was also to meet Kilicdaroglu and figures from the pro-Kurdish Peoples` Democratic Party (HDP) whose co-leaders are under arrest.

Merkel said after meeting Erdogan: &quot;Opposition belongs to a democratic state.&quot;&nbsp;

Opposition figures in Germany have also suggested Merkel should not be meeting Erdogan as he is presiding over the crackdown. Turkey policy is set to be a key issue when Merkel faces re-election in September.

Germany is home to some three million people of Turkish origin, the biggest population of Turks in the world outside Turkey.

(AFP)

Merkel held tense talks with Erdogan seeking to repair a key relationship battered by a series of crises over the last months

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday urged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to ensure full freedom of expression in Turkey, ahead of a crucial referendum on constitutional change. Making her first visit to Turkey since July`s failed coup, Merkel held tense talks with Erdogan seeking to repair a key relationship battered by a series of crises over the last months. But as Turkey prepares for an expected April referendum on constitutional changes that opponents fear will grant Erdogan one-man rule, the splits on key issues between the two NATO allies were still wide. "I emphasised from my side that in this far-reaching change the separation of powers and freedom of expression must be ensured," Merkel said after talks with Erdogan at his presidential palace in Ankara. Merkel added she had also passed on concerns over press freedom and the accreditation of German journalists in Turkey, many of whom have not received approval to work in 2017. According to the P24 press monitoring group, 94 Turkish journalists are being held behind bars within the state of emergency declared after the coup. But Turkish presidential sources said after the meeting that on the subject of press freedoms "German authorities sometimes make statements based on wrong, incomplete or biased information". Merkel added that the referendum on constitutional change could be monitored by a delegation from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) "so that what the people want is guaranteed". But Erdogan immediately countered it was false to maintain there would be any end to the separation of powers under the new system. "The legislative is still there. So is the executive and the judiciary. Their dissolution... is out of the question," said the Turkish president. Further tension came when Merkel spoke of the need to fight "Islamist terrorism", with Erdogan bridling at the expression which he said upset Muslims and was not correct as Islam is a religion of peace. "Please let`s not use it. As long as it is used we need to stand against it," said Erdogan, looking directly at Merkel. Berlin has repeatedly expressed unease over the extent of the post-coup crackdown that has seen some 43,000 people arrested, under a state of emergency that has now lasted over half a year. Erdogan, meanwhile, is exasperated that Germany has not responded to requests for the extradition of hundreds of suspects linked to the coup, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers` Party (PKK) and the ultra-left. Last week it was reported that 40 Turkish soldiers stationed at NATO bases had asked Berlin for asylum, with Turkey pressing for the bids to be rejected. Merkel emphasised that Germany was Turkey`s partner in the fight against terror but could only act against suspects "when we have evidence and it is examined by the courts". After his talks with Merkel, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Ankara wanted to see "more support from Germany" in extraditing alleged PKK militants and supporters of Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen whom Ankara blames for the coup bid. Merkel also wants Turkey to keep implementing a deal that has so far successfully reduced migrant flows to Europe, despite threats by Erdogan to walk away from it due to a failure to fulfil a pledge to grant Turks visa-free travel. "The refugee issue is very important for Turkey and also the EU and Germany," she said, adding the deal was in their "mutual interest". Opposition Republican People`s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu had expressed unease at the visit, fearing that Merkel`s presence could buttress Erdogan ahead of the referendum. But Merkel was also to meet Kilicdaroglu and figures from the pro-Kurdish Peoples` Democratic Party (HDP) whose co-leaders are under arrest. Merkel said after meeting Erdogan: "Opposition belongs to a democratic state." Opposition figures in Germany have also suggested Merkel should not be meeting Erdogan as he is presiding over the crackdown. Turkey policy is set to be a key issue when Merkel faces re-election in September. Germany is home to some three million people of Turkish origin, the biggest population of Turks in the world outside Turkey. (AFP)

Germany's Angela Merkel insists on protecting freedom of expression in meeting with Turkish President Erdogan

A sudden surge in clashes between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed rebels killed at least seven people on Monday despite a tattered truce in Ukraine&#39;s war-scarred east.

The overall death toll reported for the past two days rose to 12 after the bloodiest outburst of violence since the former Soviet republic and its foes last month agreed an &quot;indefinite&quot; ceasefire.

The fighting came as Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko urged German Chancellor Angela Merkel to step up economic sanctions against Moscow, and fears grew in Kiev that US support could wane should President Donald Trump draw closer to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

But Poroshenko cut short his visit to Berlin after hearing news of the deaths, his spokesman told AFP.

&quot;Since Sunday, there have been continuing clashes and heavy attacks on our positions,&quot; Ukraine&#39;s 72nd army brigade spokeswoman Olena Mokrynchuk told AFP.

The military in Kiev said three of its soldiers had died overnight.

An AFP reporter in the town of Avdiivka near the de facto rebel capital Donetsk saw Kiev troops capture three rebels on Monday. Two of them later died of their wounds.

The electricity has been off since Sunday and water supplies are sporadic in Avdiivka amid the shelling and gunfire.

The separatists also reported two civilians deaths from Ukrainian fire around Donetsk.

The bloodshed put at risk yet another attempt by exasperated mediators to end one of Europe&#39;s bloodiest conflicts since the 1990s Balkans wars.The violence coincided with Poroshenko&#39;s visit to Berlin to meet ally Merkel -- the German leader who along with French President Francois Hollande helped hammer out a 2015 peace deal in the Belarusian capital Minsk that has failed to achieve results.

&quot;We are certain that today we need decisive and united action that can motivate Russia to sit at the negotiating table and fully implement the Minsk agreements -- particularly its security component -- to stop civilians from dying,&quot; Poroshenko said in Berlin before entering the meeting.

&quot;We believe that not only should the sanctions be maintained, but they should be intensified as well,&quot; he added.

Merkel said she found the situation &quot;worrying&quot; but gave no indication on whether she intended to add to the pressure on Putin.

The east of Ukraine comprises coal mines and steel mills whose possession is coveted by both sides of the war, which broke out in April 2014.

The clashes started in the Russian-border regions of Donetsk and Lugansk after a February 2014 revolution ousted Ukraine&#39;s Moscow-backed leader and put Kiev on a pro-Western course.

The sides have since agreed to a series of temporary ceasefires and an &quot;indefinite&quot; one on December 23, but none have been respected.

The conflict has killed nearly 10,000 people -- more than half of them civilians -- and plunged Moscow`s relations with the West to a post-Cold War low.

Russia denies backing the insurgents and only admits that &quot;volunteers&quot; and off duty soldiers had entered the war zone of their own free will.

(AFP)

Death toll in the violence rose to 12 even as Ukraine's President, on a visit to Germany, pressed for more sanctions against Moscow

A sudden surge in clashes between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed rebels killed at least seven people on Monday despite a tattered truce in Ukraine's war-scarred east. The overall death toll reported for the past two days rose to 12 after the bloodiest outburst of violence since the former Soviet republic and its foes last month agreed an "indefinite" ceasefire. The fighting came as Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko urged German Chancellor Angela Merkel to step up economic sanctions against Moscow, and fears grew in Kiev that US support could wane should President Donald Trump draw closer to Russian leader Vladimir Putin. But Poroshenko cut short his visit to Berlin after hearing news of the deaths, his spokesman told AFP. "Since Sunday, there have been continuing clashes and heavy attacks on our positions," Ukraine's 72nd army brigade spokeswoman Olena Mokrynchuk told AFP. The military in Kiev said three of its soldiers had died overnight. An AFP reporter in the town of Avdiivka near the de facto rebel capital Donetsk saw Kiev troops capture three rebels on Monday. Two of them later died of their wounds. The electricity has been off since Sunday and water supplies are sporadic in Avdiivka amid the shelling and gunfire. The separatists also reported two civilians deaths from Ukrainian fire around Donetsk. The bloodshed put at risk yet another attempt by exasperated mediators to end one of Europe's bloodiest conflicts since the 1990s Balkans wars.The violence coincided with Poroshenko's visit to Berlin to meet ally Merkel -- the German leader who along with French President Francois Hollande helped hammer out a 2015 peace deal in the Belarusian capital Minsk that has failed to achieve results. "We are certain that today we need decisive and united action that can motivate Russia to sit at the negotiating table and fully implement the Minsk agreements -- particularly its security component -- to stop civilians from dying," Poroshenko said in Berlin before entering the meeting. "We believe that not only should the sanctions be maintained, but they should be intensified as well," he added. Merkel said she found the situation "worrying" but gave no indication on whether she intended to add to the pressure on Putin. The east of Ukraine comprises coal mines and steel mills whose possession is coveted by both sides of the war, which broke out in April 2014. The clashes started in the Russian-border regions of Donetsk and Lugansk after a February 2014 revolution ousted Ukraine's Moscow-backed leader and put Kiev on a pro-Western course. The sides have since agreed to a series of temporary ceasefires and an "indefinite" one on December 23, but none have been respected. The conflict has killed nearly 10,000 people -- more than half of them civilians -- and plunged Moscow`s relations with the West to a post-Cold War low. Russia denies backing the insurgents and only admits that "volunteers" and off duty soldiers had entered the war zone of their own free will. (AFP)

Ukraine: Fresh violence erupts between govt forces and Russia-backed rebels as month-long truce frays

German Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s government on Wednesday set September 24 as the date for a general election, as she seeks a fourth term facing populist headwinds over a record migrant influx.

The decision, adopted by Merkel&#39;s right-left coalition cabinet, must still be formally approved by President Joachim Gauck.

But the announcement fires the starting gun for an election campaign that Merkel has said will be her toughest yet due to opposition to her liberal asylum policy.

Merkel, 62, is nevertheless the clear frontrunner in the race and enjoys solid popularity in Europe&#39;s top economy.&nbsp;

A poll released Wednesday showed her conservative Christian Union bloc (CDU/CSU) as the strongest political force in the country with 38 per cent.

It was followed in distant second by the Social Democrats (SPD), the current junior partners in Merkel&#39;s &quot;grand coalition&quot; government, which polled at 21 per cent.

The right-wing anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has railed against Merkel&#39;s decision to let in more than one million asylum seekers since 2015, lost one percentage point compared to last week to reach 11 per cent.

The head of the Forsa opinion research institute which conducted the poll, Manfred Guellner, said a jihadist attack on a Berlin Christmas market last month that killed 12 people and was committed by a rejected asylum seeker had failed to boost support for the AfD.&nbsp;

&quot;Although the security debate after the Berlin terror attack is running high, the AfD is unable to capitalise on it,&quot; Guellner said in a statement.

&quot;It is actually losing support while the CDU/CSU and the SPD are stabilising.&quot;

Radical surge&nbsp;

The AfD, born as a eurosceptic party in 2013, has attempted to harness public unease with migration and asylum and, due to its relative strength, threatens to scramble the potentially complicated arithmetic of coalition building after the election.

It hopes to become the first populist party to gain seats in the Bundestag lower house of parliament in post-war Germany.

The AfD, seeking to gain momentum from a surge of European radical parties, will host a meeting of far-right leaders in the western city of Koblenz on Saturday.

Leaders expected to attend include Marine Le Pen, the presidential candidate for France&#39;s National Front; Harald Vilimsky of Austria&#39;s nationalist FPOe party; and Dutch MP Geert Wilders of the anti-Islam Freedom Party (PVV).&nbsp;

The Forsa poll, conducted January 9 to 13 among a representative sample of 2,053 eligible voters, showed the ecologist Greens and the far-left Linke each at nine per cent and the pro-business Free Democrats at six per cent.

The Greens, who have been mentioned as potential partners in government for Merkel after the election, on Monday chose two members of their pragmatist wing, Cem Ozdemir and Katrin Goering-Eckardt, to lead the party into the general election.

Both have praised Merkel&#39;s stance on refugees.

However, Merkel has faced blowback from within her own conservative bloc, with the Christian Social Union in the southern state of Bavaria agitating for an upper limit on new asylum seekers &mdash;&nbsp;a bid Merkel has repeatedly rejected. &nbsp;

US President-elect Donald Trump said in a newspaper interview Monday that Merkel had made a &quot;catastrophic mistake&quot; in letting migrants flood into Germany.

Yet some analysts say German uncertainty over the future of the post-war order with Trump at the helm in Washington and Britain leaving the European Union could help Merkel&#39;s campaign as voters long for stability. 
 
(AFP)

The decision, adopted by Merkel's right-left coalition cabinet, must still be formally approved by President Joachim Gauck

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government on Wednesday set September 24 as the date for a general election, as she seeks a fourth term facing populist headwinds over a record migrant influx. The decision, adopted by Merkel's right-left coalition cabinet, must still be formally approved by President Joachim Gauck. But the announcement fires the starting gun for an election campaign that Merkel has said will be her toughest yet due to opposition to her liberal asylum policy. Merkel, 62, is nevertheless the clear frontrunner in the race and enjoys solid popularity in Europe's top economy. A poll released Wednesday showed her conservative Christian Union bloc (CDU/CSU) as the strongest political force in the country with 38 per cent. It was followed in distant second by the Social Democrats (SPD), the current junior partners in Merkel's "grand coalition" government, which polled at 21 per cent. The right-wing anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has railed against Merkel's decision to let in more than one million asylum seekers since 2015, lost one percentage point compared to last week to reach 11 per cent. The head of the Forsa opinion research institute which conducted the poll, Manfred Guellner, said a jihadist attack on a Berlin Christmas market last month that killed 12 people and was committed by a rejected asylum seeker had failed to boost support for the AfD. "Although the security debate after the Berlin terror attack is running high, the AfD is unable to capitalise on it," Guellner said in a statement. "It is actually losing support while the CDU/CSU and the SPD are stabilising." Radical surge The AfD, born as a eurosceptic party in 2013, has attempted to harness public unease with migration and asylum and, due to its relative strength, threatens to scramble the potentially complicated arithmetic of coalition building after the election. It hopes to become the first populist party to gain seats in the Bundestag lower house of parliament in post-war Germany. The AfD, seeking to gain momentum from a surge of European radical parties, will host a meeting of far-right leaders in the western city of Koblenz on Saturday. Leaders expected to attend include Marine Le Pen, the presidential candidate for France's National Front; Harald Vilimsky of Austria's nationalist FPOe party; and Dutch MP Geert Wilders of the anti-Islam Freedom Party (PVV). The Forsa poll, conducted January 9 to 13 among a representative sample of 2,053 eligible voters, showed the ecologist Greens and the far-left Linke each at nine per cent and the pro-business Free Democrats at six per cent. The Greens, who have been mentioned as potential partners in government for Merkel after the election, on Monday chose two members of their pragmatist wing, Cem Ozdemir and Katrin Goering-Eckardt, to lead the party into the general election. Both have praised Merkel's stance on refugees. However, Merkel has faced blowback from within her own conservative bloc, with the Christian Social Union in the southern state of Bavaria agitating for an upper limit on new asylum seekers — a bid Merkel has repeatedly rejected. US President-elect Donald Trump said in a newspaper interview Monday that Merkel had made a "catastrophic mistake" in letting migrants flood into Germany. Yet some analysts say German uncertainty over the future of the post-war order with Trump at the helm in Washington and Britain leaving the European Union could help Merkel's campaign as voters long for stability. (AFP)

Germany: Angela Merkel sets September 24 as date for general elections

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