They promised they would “hunt” the elites. They questioned the need for a Holocaust memorial in Berlin and described Muslim immigrants as “headscarf girls” and “knife men.”

Four years ago the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, arrived in the German Parliament like a wrecking ball, the first far-right party to win a place at the heart of Germany’s democracy since World War II. It was a political earthquake in a country that had once seen Hitler’s Nazi party rise from the fringes to win power in free elections.

As another election looms on Sunday, the worst fears of many Germans have not come true: Support for the party has dipped. But neither have the hopes that the AfD would disappear from the political scene as suddenly as it appeared. If Germany’s fate in this election will not be settled by the far right, political analysts say, Germany’s future will partly be shaped by it.

“The AfD is here to stay,” said Matthias Quent, professor of sociology at Magdeburg University of Applied Sciences and an expert on the far right. “There was the widespread and naïve hope that this was a short-lived protest phenomenon. The reality is that the far right has become entrenched in the German political landscape.”

The AfD is polling at roughly 11%, just below its 2017 result of 12.6%, and is all but guaranteed to retain its presence in Parliament. (Parties with less than 5% of the vote do not get any seats.) But with all other parties refusing to include the AfD in talks about forming the next governing coalition, it is effectively barred from power.

“The AfD is isolated,” said Uwe Jun, a professor of political science at Trier University.

Yet with Germany’s two main parties having slipped well below the 30% mark, the AfD remains a disruptive force, one that complicates efforts to build a governing coalition with a majority of votes and parliamentary seats. Tino Chrupalla, one of the AfD’s two lead candidates in the election, believes that, eventually, the firewall other parties have erected against his party will crumble — most likely starting in one of the states in the former communist East that is currently its power base.

“It’s not sustainable,” he said. “I’m confident that sooner or later there is no way without the AfD,” he told reporters this past week. “It will certainly start on the state level.”

Founded eight years ago as a nationalist free-market protest party against the Greek bailout and the euro, the AfD has sharply shifted to the right.

The party seized on Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to welcome over 1 million migrants to Germany in 2015 and 2016, actively fanning fears of Islamization and migrant crime. Its noisy nationalism and anti-immigrant stance were what first catapulted it into Parliament and instantly turned it into Germany’s main opposition party.

But the party has struggled to expand its early gains during the past 18 months, as the pandemic and, more recently, climate change have shot to the top of the list of voters’ concerns — while its core issue of immigration has barely featured in this year’s election campaign.

The AfD has tried to jump on the chaos in Afghanistan to fan fears of a new migrant crisis. “Cologne, Kassel or Konstanz can’t cope with more Kabul,” one of the party’s campaign posters asserted. “Save the world? Sure. But Germany first!” another read.

At a recent election rally north of Frankfurt, Chrupalla demanded that lawmakers “abolish” the constitutional right to asylum. He also told the public broadcaster Deutsche Welle that Germany should be prepared to protect its borders, “if need be with armed force.”

None of this rhetoric has shifted the race, particularly because voters seem to have more fundamental concerns about the party’s aura of extremism. Some AfD leaders have marched with extremists in the streets, while among the party’s supporters are an eclectic array of conspiracy theorists and neo-Nazi sympathizers.

The AfD has not been linked directly to political violence, but its verbal transgressions have contributed to a normalization of violent language and coincided with a series of deadly far-right terrorist attacks.

In June 2019, a regional politician who had defended Merkel’s refugee policy was shot dead on his front porch by a well-known neo-Nazi. The killer later told the court that he had attended a high-profile AfD protest a year earlier.

Since then, a far-right extremist has attacked a synagogue in the eastern city of Halle during a Yom Kippur service, leaving two dead and only narrowly failing to commit a massacre. Another extremist shot dead nine mostly young people with immigrant roots in the western city of Hanau.

The AfD’s earlier rise in the polls stalled almost instantly after the Hanau attack.

“After these three attacks, the wider German public and media realized for the first time that the rhetoric of the AfD leads to real violence,” said Hajo Funke of the Free University in Berlin, who has written extensively about the party and tracks its evolution.

“It was a turning point,” he said. “They have come to personify the notion that words lead to deeds.”

Shortly after the Hanau attack, Thomas Haldenwang, the chief of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, placed elements of the AfD under surveillance for far-right extremism — even as the party’s lawmakers continued to work in Parliament.

“We know from German history that far-right extremism didn’t just destroy human lives, it destroyed democracy,” Haldenwang warned after announcing his decision in March last year. “Far-right extremism and far-right terrorism are currently the biggest danger for democracy in Germany.”

Today, the agency has classified about a third of all AfD members as extremist, including Chrupalla and Alice Weidel, the party’s other lead candidate. A court is reviewing whether the entire party can soon be placed under formal observation.

“The AfD is irrelevant in power-political terms,” said Funke. “But it is dangerous.”

Chrupalla, a decorator who occasionally takes the stage in his overalls, and Weidel, a suit-wearing former Goldman Sachs analyst and gay mother of two, have sought to counter that impression. As if to hammer home the point, the party’s main election slogan this year is: “Germany — but normal.”

A look through the party’s 207-page election program shows what “normal” means: The AfD demands Germany’s exit from the European Union. It calls for the abolition of any mandates to fight the coronavirus. It wants to return to the traditional German definition of citizenship based on blood ancestry. And it is the only party in Parliament that denies man-made climate change.

That the AfD’s polling numbers have barely budged for the past 18 months suggests that its supporters are not protest voters but Germans who subscribe to its ideas and ideology.

“The AfD has brought out into the open a small but very radical electorate that many thought we don’t have in this country,” said Quent, the sociologist. “Four years ago people were asking: ‘Where does this come from?’ In reality it was always there. It just needed a trigger.”

Quent and other experts estimate the nationwide ceiling of support for the party at around 14%. But in parts of the former communist East, where the AfD has become a broad-based political force entrenched at the local level, it is often twice that — enough to make it the region’s second-strongest political force.

Among the under 60-year-olds, Quent said, it has become No. 1.

“It’s only a question of time until AfD is the strongest party in the East,” Quent said.

That is why Chrupalla, whose constituency is in the eastern state of Saxony, the one state where the AfD already came first in 2017, predicts it will eventually become too big to bypass.

“In the East we are a people’s party, we are well-established at the local, city, regional and state level,” Chrupalla said. “In the East the middle class votes for the AfD. In the West, they vote for the Greens.”

They promised they would “hunt” the elites. They questioned the need for a Holocaust memorial in Berlin and described Muslim immigrants as “headscarf girls” and “knife men.

They promised they would “hunt” the elites. They questioned the need for a Holocaust memorial in Berlin and described Muslim immigrants as “headscarf girls” and “knife men.” Four years ago the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, arrived in the German Parliament like a wrecking ball, the first far-right party to win a place at the heart of Germany’s democracy since World War II. It was a political earthquake in a country that had once seen Hitler’s Nazi party rise from the fringes to win power in free elections. As another election looms on Sunday, the worst fears of many Germans have not come true: Support for the party has dipped. But neither have the hopes that the AfD would disappear from the political scene as suddenly as it appeared. If Germany’s fate in this election will not be settled by the far right, political analysts say, Germany’s future will partly be shaped by it. “The AfD is here to stay,” said Matthias Quent, professor of sociology at Magdeburg University of Applied Sciences and an expert on the far right. “There was the widespread and naïve hope that this was a short-lived protest phenomenon. The reality is that the far right has become entrenched in the German political landscape.” The AfD is polling at roughly 11%, just below its 2017 result of 12.6%, and is all but guaranteed to retain its presence in Parliament. (Parties with less than 5% of the vote do not get any seats.) But with all other parties refusing to include the AfD in talks about forming the next governing coalition, it is effectively barred from power. “The AfD is isolated,” said Uwe Jun, a professor of political science at Trier University. Yet with Germany’s two main parties having slipped well below the 30% mark, the AfD remains a disruptive force, one that complicates efforts to build a governing coalition with a majority of votes and parliamentary seats. Tino Chrupalla, one of the AfD’s two lead candidates in the election, believes that, eventually, the firewall other parties have erected against his party will crumble — most likely starting in one of the states in the former communist East that is currently its power base. “It’s not sustainable,” he said. “I’m confident that sooner or later there is no way without the AfD,” he told reporters this past week. “It will certainly start on the state level.” Founded eight years ago as a nationalist free-market protest party against the Greek bailout and the euro, the AfD has sharply shifted to the right. The party seized on Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to welcome over 1 million migrants to Germany in 2015 and 2016, actively fanning fears of Islamization and migrant crime. Its noisy nationalism and anti-immigrant stance were what first catapulted it into Parliament and instantly turned it into Germany’s main opposition party. But the party has struggled to expand its early gains during the past 18 months, as the pandemic and, more recently, climate change have shot to the top of the list of voters’ concerns — while its core issue of immigration has barely featured in this year’s election campaign. The AfD has tried to jump on the chaos in Afghanistan to fan fears of a new migrant crisis. “Cologne, Kassel or Konstanz can’t cope with more Kabul,” one of the party’s campaign posters asserted. “Save the world? Sure. But Germany first!” another read. At a recent election rally north of Frankfurt, Chrupalla demanded that lawmakers “abolish” the constitutional right to asylum. He also told the public broadcaster Deutsche Welle that Germany should be prepared to protect its borders, “if need be with armed force.” None of this rhetoric has shifted the race, particularly because voters seem to have more fundamental concerns about the party’s aura of extremism. Some AfD leaders have marched with extremists in the streets, while among the party’s supporters are an eclectic array of conspiracy theorists and neo-Nazi sympathizers. The AfD has not been linked directly to political violence, but its verbal transgressions have contributed to a normalization of violent language and coincided with a series of deadly far-right terrorist attacks. In June 2019, a regional politician who had defended Merkel’s refugee policy was shot dead on his front porch by a well-known neo-Nazi. The killer later told the court that he had attended a high-profile AfD protest a year earlier. Since then, a far-right extremist has attacked a synagogue in the eastern city of Halle during a Yom Kippur service, leaving two dead and only narrowly failing to commit a massacre. Another extremist shot dead nine mostly young people with immigrant roots in the western city of Hanau. The AfD’s earlier rise in the polls stalled almost instantly after the Hanau attack. “After these three attacks, the wider German public and media realized for the first time that the rhetoric of the AfD leads to real violence,” said Hajo Funke of the Free University in Berlin, who has written extensively about the party and tracks its evolution. “It was a turning point,” he said. “They have come to personify the notion that words lead to deeds.” Shortly after the Hanau attack, Thomas Haldenwang, the chief of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, placed elements of the AfD under surveillance for far-right extremism — even as the party’s lawmakers continued to work in Parliament. “We know from German history that far-right extremism didn’t just destroy human lives, it destroyed democracy,” Haldenwang warned after announcing his decision in March last year. “Far-right extremism and far-right terrorism are currently the biggest danger for democracy in Germany.” Today, the agency has classified about a third of all AfD members as extremist, including Chrupalla and Alice Weidel, the party’s other lead candidate. A court is reviewing whether the entire party can soon be placed under formal observation. “The AfD is irrelevant in power-political terms,” said Funke. “But it is dangerous.” Chrupalla, a decorator who occasionally takes the stage in his overalls, and Weidel, a suit-wearing former Goldman Sachs analyst and gay mother of two, have sought to counter that impression. As if to hammer home the point, the party’s main election slogan this year is: “Germany — but normal.” A look through the party’s 207-page election program shows what “normal” means: The AfD demands Germany’s exit from the European Union. It calls for the abolition of any mandates to fight the coronavirus. It wants to return to the traditional German definition of citizenship based on blood ancestry. And it is the only party in Parliament that denies man-made climate change. That the AfD’s polling numbers have barely budged for the past 18 months suggests that its supporters are not protest voters but Germans who subscribe to its ideas and ideology. “The AfD has brought out into the open a small but very radical electorate that many thought we don’t have in this country,” said Quent, the sociologist. “Four years ago people were asking: ‘Where does this come from?’ In reality it was always there. It just needed a trigger.” Quent and other experts estimate the nationwide ceiling of support for the party at around 14%. But in parts of the former communist East, where the AfD has become a broad-based political force entrenched at the local level, it is often twice that — enough to make it the region’s second-strongest political force. Among the under 60-year-olds, Quent said, it has become No. 1. “It’s only a question of time until AfD is the strongest party in the East,” Quent said. That is why Chrupalla, whose constituency is in the eastern state of Saxony, the one state where the AfD already came first in 2017, predicts it will eventually become too big to bypass. “In the East we are a people’s party, we are well-established at the local, city, regional and state level,” Chrupalla said. “In the East the middle class votes for the AfD. In the West, they vote for the Greens.”

Germany’s far-right is nowhere in the election. But it’s ‘here to stay.’

German Chancellor, Angela Merkel will step down at the end of this year after serving 16 years as the head of Germany's government. Merkel had entered politics at the age of 35.

German Chancellor, Angela Merkel steps down after serving 16 years as head of Germany's govt

The candidates to become Germany’s next chancellor had faced off in a TV debate. Armin Laschet, the candidate from Angela Merkel's party CDU tried to turn his fortunes around by attacking finance minister Olaf Scholz of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) over his track record on tackling money laundering and corruption.

German election candidates face off in first TV debate

Germany's Left-wing Social Democratic Party is soaring ahead in opinion polls. German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Conservative alliance is trailing behind. The country will go to polls on September 26. Who is going to win? Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: Germany's Left-Wing party soars in opinion polls

Germany wants to talk to the Taliban about how to evacuate its remaining local contract workers from Afghanistan, Chancellor Angela Merkel said. She said that it was a good sign that the airport in Kabul could be used for flights again.

Germany says ready to hold talks with Taliban

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday called for a dialogue with the Taliban as the hardline Islamists finalise a new government that will set the tone for their rule in Afghanistan.

"We simply have to talk to the Taliban about how we can get people who have worked for Germany out of the country and bring them to safety," Merkel told a press conference in North Rhine-Westphalia state.

"They are the ones we have to talk to now. We want to get people out of the country who have worked for German development organisations in particular and who now feel threatened," Merkel said.

The Taliban swooped into power in Afghanistan three weeks ago, prompting a hurried effort by Western states to evacuate their citizens and Afghans who had worked for their armies and aid organisations.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-how-america-benefits-from-wars-410726">WATCH |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-how-america-benefits-from-wars-410726/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Facing the challenge of morphing from insurgents to rulers, the Taliban appear determined to snuff out fighting in the Panjshir valley before announcing who will lead the country in the aftermath of last week's US troop withdrawal.

Afghanistan's new rulers have promised a more "inclusive" government that represents Afghanistan's complex ethnic makeup — though women are unlikely to be included at the top levels.

While the West has adopted a wait-and-see approach to the group, there are some signs of engagement with the new leaders gathering pace.

Earlier on Sunday, Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper that the Taliban wanted "strong and official diplomatic relations with Germany".

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday called for a dialogue with the Taliban as the hardline Islamists finalise a new government that will set the tone for their rule in Afghanistan.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday called for a dialogue with the Taliban as the hardline Islamists finalise a new government that will set the tone for their rule in Afghanistan. "We simply have to talk to the Taliban about how we can get people who have worked for Germany out of the country and bring them to safety," Merkel told a press conference in North Rhine-Westphalia state. "They are the ones we have to talk to now. We want to get people out of the country who have worked for German development organisations in particular and who now feel threatened," Merkel said. The Taliban swooped into power in Afghanistan three weeks ago, prompting a hurried effort by Western states to evacuate their citizens and Afghans who had worked for their armies and aid organisations. WATCH | Facing the challenge of morphing from insurgents to rulers, the Taliban appear determined to snuff out fighting in the Panjshir valley before announcing who will lead the country in the aftermath of last week's US troop withdrawal. Afghanistan's new rulers have promised a more "inclusive" government that represents Afghanistan's complex ethnic makeup — though women are unlikely to be included at the top levels. While the West has adopted a wait-and-see approach to the group, there are some signs of engagement with the new leaders gathering pace. Earlier on Sunday, Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper that the Taliban wanted "strong and official diplomatic relations with Germany".

Talks with Taliban must continue to evacuate more people: Merkel

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will return on Friday to the scene of deadly flooding in July in a bid to restore support for her embattled party before this month's national election.

After the disaster put crisis management and climate change back at the top of the agenda, Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and their unpopular candidate, Armin Laschet, have been haemorrhaging support.

With the September 26 vote fast approaching, the outgoing Merkel will check in on the flood-stricken community of Altenahr in Rhineland-Palatinate state on Friday, followed by two inundated towns in Laschet's own neighbouring North Rhine-Westphalia on Sunday.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-quotes-putin-on-afghan-crisis-attributes-it-to-germanys-merkel-410209" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-quotes-putin-on-afghan-crisis-attributes-it-to-germanys-merkel-410209&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjCpZSG8uHyAhVQ7nMBHZMJBxsQFjABegQICBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1mhm446Onwh-1mata17RXJ" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-quotes-putin-on-afghan-crisis-attributes-it-to-germanys-merkel-410209" target="_blank">Pope quotes Putin on Afghan crisis, attributes it to Germany's&nbsp;Merkel</a>

Merkel, who will retire from politics when a new government is in place, made a well-received visit in the immediate aftermath of the deluge, offering empathy and billions in federal aid to rebuild ravaged infrastructure.

The appearance stood in marked contrast with a politically calamitous stop by Laschet in what is now widely seen as a fateful moment in the erstwhile frontrunner's campaign.&nbsp;

As President Frank-Walter Steinmeier gave a sombre speech mourning the floods' 181 victims, the CDU leader was caught on camera behind him joking and laughing with local officials.

'Put foot in it'

The two appearances gave voters a chance to directly compare the luckless Laschet with Merkel, political scientist Ursula Muench told AFP.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/germanys-angela-merkel-receives-world-health-award-410055" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/germanys-angela-merkel-receives-world-health-award-410055&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjCpZSG8uHyAhVQ7nMBHZMJBxsQFjADegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0i0EKoIym62ARA3HRr775Y" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/germanys-angela-merkel-receives-world-health-award-410055" target="_blank">Germany's Angela&nbsp;Merkel&nbsp;receives World Health award</a>

"Merkel went there and listened and had the right expression and the right gestures and Laschet managed to put his foot in it," said Muench, director of the Academy for Political Education near Munich.

She noted that after Merkel's 16 years in office, her shadow looms large over the race -- particularly as Laschet's chief rival, Social Democratic Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, also tries to present himself as her rightful heir.

His party is now polling at around 25 percent, four points up on Laschet's conservatives.

The Christian Democrats are now encouraging as many joint appearances as possible between Merkel and Laschet, who will accompany her on Sunday.

However the visit carries some political risk as emotions are still running high in the stricken region.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/merkel-germanys-eternal-chancellor-prepares-to-leave-the-stage-409995" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/merkel-germanys-eternal-chancellor-prepares-to-leave-the-stage-409995&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjCpZSG8uHyAhVQ7nMBHZMJBxsQFjAFegQICRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0hmqoLdDyk7aoDNlr0X664" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/merkel-germanys-eternal-chancellor-prepares-to-leave-the-stage-409995" target="_blank">Merkel, Germany's 'eternal' chancellor, prepares to leave the stage</a>

In the village of Dernau, where entire streets are still uninhabitable, clean-up volunteer Christine Jahn complained this week about red tape holding up tranches of a pledged 30 billion euros ($36 billion) in federal and state aid.

"I want less babbling and more getting on with it, so that the money arrives without bureaucracy," the 66-year-old told AFP.

Public anger has also focused on a failure to sufficiently warn vulnerable residents or rush them to safety before the waters surged through their community.&nbsp;

Prosecutors in August launched a criminal investigation against the district chief of hard-hit Ahrweiler for negligence as warnings were made belatedly, resulting in the deaths of dozens of residents.

Flippant response?

The catastrophe also renewed the focus on climate change, which 80 percent of Germans say they want more political action to mitigate, according to a poll for broadcaster RTL published on Wednesday.

A major international study last month found that manmade global warming made the deadly floods in Germany as well as Belgium up to nine times more likely.

In the Ahr and Erft regions of Germany, 93 millimetres (3.6 inches) of rain fell in a single day at the height of the crisis.

In the immediate aftermath, Laschet drew criticism for seemingly contradictory statements in a TV interview on the urgency of addressing the climate crisis.

Asked whether he thought the government had made mistakes on the issue, Laschet said it would be wrong to "change policies just because of one day" in what sounded to many critics like a flippant response to the disaster.

All eyes will now be on Laschet, whose CDU has shed around 13 points in support since he became party leader in January and is still on a downward slide, to see whether he can find his footing again before election day.&nbsp;

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will return on Friday to the scene of deadly flooding in July in a bid to restore support for her embattled party before this month's national election.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will return on Friday to the scene of deadly flooding in July in a bid to restore support for her embattled party before this month's national election. After the disaster put crisis management and climate change back at the top of the agenda, Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and their unpopular candidate, Armin Laschet, have been haemorrhaging support. With the September 26 vote fast approaching, the outgoing Merkel will check in on the flood-stricken community of Altenahr in Rhineland-Palatinate state on Friday, followed by two inundated towns in Laschet's own neighbouring North Rhine-Westphalia on Sunday. Also read | Pope quotes Putin on Afghan crisis, attributes it to Germany's Merkel Merkel, who will retire from politics when a new government is in place, made a well-received visit in the immediate aftermath of the deluge, offering empathy and billions in federal aid to rebuild ravaged infrastructure. The appearance stood in marked contrast with a politically calamitous stop by Laschet in what is now widely seen as a fateful moment in the erstwhile frontrunner's campaign. As President Frank-Walter Steinmeier gave a sombre speech mourning the floods' 181 victims, the CDU leader was caught on camera behind him joking and laughing with local officials. 'Put foot in it' The two appearances gave voters a chance to directly compare the luckless Laschet with Merkel, political scientist Ursula Muench told AFP. Also read | Germany's Angela Merkel receives World Health award "Merkel went there and listened and had the right expression and the right gestures and Laschet managed to put his foot in it," said Muench, director of the Academy for Political Education near Munich. She noted that after Merkel's 16 years in office, her shadow looms large over the race -- particularly as Laschet's chief rival, Social Democratic Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, also tries to present himself as her rightful heir. His party is now polling at around 25 percent, four points up on Laschet's conservatives. The Christian Democrats are now encouraging as many joint appearances as possible between Merkel and Laschet, who will accompany her on Sunday. However the visit carries some political risk as emotions are still running high in the stricken region. Also read | Merkel, Germany's 'eternal' chancellor, prepares to leave the stage In the village of Dernau, where entire streets are still uninhabitable, clean-up volunteer Christine Jahn complained this week about red tape holding up tranches of a pledged 30 billion euros ($36 billion) in federal and state aid. "I want less babbling and more getting on with it, so that the money arrives without bureaucracy," the 66-year-old told AFP. Public anger has also focused on a failure to sufficiently warn vulnerable residents or rush them to safety before the waters surged through their community. Prosecutors in August launched a criminal investigation against the district chief of hard-hit Ahrweiler for negligence as warnings were made belatedly, resulting in the deaths of dozens of residents. Flippant response? The catastrophe also renewed the focus on climate change, which 80 percent of Germans say they want more political action to mitigate, according to a poll for broadcaster RTL published on Wednesday. A major international study last month found that manmade global warming made the deadly floods in Germany as well as Belgium up to nine times more likely. In the Ahr and Erft regions of Germany, 93 millimetres (3.6 inches) of rain fell in a single day at the height of the crisis. In the immediate aftermath, Laschet drew criticism for seemingly contradictory statements in a TV interview on the urgency of addressing the climate crisis. Asked whether he thought the government had made mistakes on the issue, Laschet said it would be wrong to "change policies just because of one day" in what sounded to many critics like a flippant response to the disaster. All eyes will now be on Laschet, whose CDU has shed around 13 points in support since he became party leader in January and is still on a downward slide, to see whether he can find his footing again before election day.

Merkel, party's heir apparent to make risky flood zone tour

Vatican’s Pope Francis criticised the 'forever war' in Afghanistan and blamed west’s two-decade long involvement in it. He expressed his emotions by quoting words of Vladimir Putin, but incorrectly attributed them to the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.

During a radio interview on Wednesday, the Pope was questioned about the recent crisis in Afghanistan since the Taliban took control of the South Asian country.

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"It is necessary to put an end to the irresponsible policy of intervening from outside and building democracy in other countries, ignoring the traditions of the peoples," the Pope said.

Pope assumed these words were spoken by German Chancellor Angela Merkel whom he called "one of the world's greatest political figures". However, the words were actually said by Russian President Vladimir Putin when Merkel was visiting Moscow last month.

Putin had said these words on August 20 while criticising the West over its involvement in Afghan crisis. The Russian leader believes that the Western countries have forcefully enforced their own version of democracy but have not been able to help the Afghans appropriately.

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Merkel had then joined his narrative and agreed that the operation has failed to substantiate a proper and democratic future for Afghans, as the Taliban took control of the country.

"We did not want to force any system on Afghanistan," Merkel had said. "But we saw that millions of girls were glad to go to school and that women could participate. There are many in Afghanistan who are very, very unhappy about developments now."

Merkel’s spokesperson has said her stand on the Afghan crisis is well known and has been repeated during recent speech in German Parliament. However, there has been no official statement on the Pope slip-up.

Meanwhile, the radio station has claimed that they had assumed the content was vetted by the Pope himself and his team.

"I don’t know whether there will be a review or not (about what happened during the withdrawal), but certainly there was a lot of deception perhaps on the part of the new (Afghan) authorities," Pope had added. "I say deceit or a lot of naivety."

Vatican’s Pope Francis criticised the 'forever war' in Afghanistan and blamed west’s two-decade long involvement in it. He expressed his emotions by quoting words of Vladimir Putin, but incorrectly attributed them to the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.

Vatican’s Pope Francis criticised the 'forever war' in Afghanistan and blamed west’s two-decade long involvement in it. He expressed his emotions by quoting words of Vladimir Putin, but incorrectly attributed them to the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel. During a radio interview on Wednesday, the Pope was questioned about the recent crisis in Afghanistan since the Taliban took control of the South Asian country. Also read | Pope Francis takes time out with some Foosball "It is necessary to put an end to the irresponsible policy of intervening from outside and building democracy in other countries, ignoring the traditions of the peoples," the Pope said. Pope assumed these words were spoken by German Chancellor Angela Merkel whom he called "one of the world's greatest political figures". However, the words were actually said by Russian President Vladimir Putin when Merkel was visiting Moscow last month. Putin had said these words on August 20 while criticising the West over its involvement in Afghan crisis. The Russian leader believes that the Western countries have forcefully enforced their own version of democracy but have not been able to help the Afghans appropriately. Also read | Learn to switch off, says Pope Francis after successful surgery Merkel had then joined his narrative and agreed that the operation has failed to substantiate a proper and democratic future for Afghans, as the Taliban took control of the country. "We did not want to force any system on Afghanistan," Merkel had said. "But we saw that millions of girls were glad to go to school and that women could participate. There are many in Afghanistan who are very, very unhappy about developments now." Merkel’s spokesperson has said her stand on the Afghan crisis is well known and has been repeated during recent speech in German Parliament. However, there has been no official statement on the Pope slip-up. Meanwhile, the radio station has claimed that they had assumed the content was vetted by the Pope himself and his team. "I don’t know whether there will be a review or not (about what happened during the withdrawal), but certainly there was a lot of deception perhaps on the part of the new (Afghan) authorities," Pope had added. "I say deceit or a lot of naivety."

Pope quotes Putin on Afghan crisis, attributes it to Germany's Merkel

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday, September 1 opened a new epidemic intelligence hub with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The chancellor took a blushing approach to high praise heaped on her by Ghebreyesus, thanking him for the 'heavy' medal and saying that there was still much to be done.

At the opening of the hub, Merkel said: "We want to be better armed for future pandemics and epidemics... if I am honest it wasn't really clear to me that a pandemic could hit Europe one day. At the time we were working on the basis of this not coming to Europe but now we have experienced it first hand and must learn our lessons from it."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/merkel-germanys-eternal-chancellor-prepares-to-leave-the-stage-409995" hreflang="en">Merkel, Germany's 'eternal' chancellor, prepares to leave the stage</a>

The hub will serve as a collecting point for all available information on viruses. The data will then be analysed for use in the global fight against pandemics.

Merkel praised Berlin as a location for a hub alongside the Charite hospital and Robert Koch Institute.

The hub and its work will, according to the Berlin Senate, be given 30 million euros funding as a token of German support for the World Health Organisation.

"We must work together and above all we need to understand that it isn't enough if one country is vaccinated. Everyone has to be vaccinated to stop all the mutations preventing us from finding a way out of the pandemic. The pandemic also showed me how much we need the WHO. It is the body for global health and needs solid and reliable financing," said.

The hub offers: "a bit of hope in these sometimes difficult times," she added.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday, September 1 opened a new epidemic intelligence hub with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The chancellor took a blushing approach to high praise heaped on her by Ghebreyesus, thanking him for the 'heavy' medal and saying that there was still much to be done.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday, September 1 opened a new epidemic intelligence hub with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The chancellor took a blushing approach to high praise heaped on her by Ghebreyesus, thanking him for the 'heavy' medal and saying that there was still much to be done. At the opening of the hub, Merkel said: "We want to be better armed for future pandemics and epidemics... if I am honest it wasn't really clear to me that a pandemic could hit Europe one day. At the time we were working on the basis of this not coming to Europe but now we have experienced it first hand and must learn our lessons from it." Also read | Merkel, Germany's 'eternal' chancellor, prepares to leave the stage The hub will serve as a collecting point for all available information on viruses. The data will then be analysed for use in the global fight against pandemics. Merkel praised Berlin as a location for a hub alongside the Charite hospital and Robert Koch Institute. The hub and its work will, according to the Berlin Senate, be given 30 million euros funding as a token of German support for the World Health Organisation. "We must work together and above all we need to understand that it isn't enough if one country is vaccinated. Everyone has to be vaccinated to stop all the mutations preventing us from finding a way out of the pandemic. The pandemic also showed me how much we need the WHO. It is the body for global health and needs solid and reliable financing," said. The hub offers: "a bit of hope in these sometimes difficult times," she added.

Germany's Angela Merkel receives World Health award

Centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) were seen extending their lead over German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives in a poll published on Monday. Such a situation will increase chance of a left-leaning government coming into power in general elections next month.

The Insa poll for Bild TV showed support for the SPD and their chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz jump by 2 percentage points to 25%, the highest reading in the survey in four years.

Merkel's conservatives and Armin Laschet, their top candidate lost 3 points and reached a record low at 20 per cent.

The ecologist Greens stood at 16.5%, the business-friendly FDP at 13.5%, the far-right AfD at 11% and far-left Die Linke at 7%.

Insa head Hermann Binkert said Laschet could currently only become chancellor with a three-way 'Jamaica coalition' consisting of the black conservatives, the Greens and the yellow FDP.

"Olaf Scholz would have four options in which to lead the government," Binkert added. This included a so-called "traffic light" coalition with the Greens and the FDP and a more left-leaning coalition with the Greens and Die Linke.

Another possibility would be an SPD-led coalition government supported by the Greens and conservatives, or an SPD-led coalition supported by the conservatives and the FPD.

The conservatives rallied behind Laschet, promising to go on the offensive after he struggled to revive their campaign in a televised debate with rivals.

(With inputs from agencies)

Centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) were seen extending their lead over German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives in a poll published on Monday. Such a situation will increase chance of a left-leaning government coming into power in general elections next month.

Centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) were seen extending their lead over German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives in a poll published on Monday. Such a situation will increase chance of a left-leaning government coming into power in general elections next month. The Insa poll for Bild TV showed support for the SPD and their chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz jump by 2 percentage points to 25%, the highest reading in the survey in four years. Merkel's conservatives and Armin Laschet, their top candidate lost 3 points and reached a record low at 20 per cent. The ecologist Greens stood at 16.5%, the business-friendly FDP at 13.5%, the far-right AfD at 11% and far-left Die Linke at 7%. Insa head Hermann Binkert said Laschet could currently only become chancellor with a three-way 'Jamaica coalition' consisting of the black conservatives, the Greens and the yellow FDP. "Olaf Scholz would have four options in which to lead the government," Binkert added. This included a so-called "traffic light" coalition with the Greens and the FDP and a more left-leaning coalition with the Greens and Die Linke. Another possibility would be an SPD-led coalition government supported by the Greens and conservatives, or an SPD-led coalition supported by the conservatives and the FPD. The conservatives rallied behind Laschet, promising to go on the offensive after he struggled to revive their campaign in a televised debate with rivals. (With inputs from agencies)

German poll: Social Democrats seen racing ahead, setback for Merkel

Germany will continue to evacuate its own nationals from Afghanistan for 'as long as possible', says Chancellor Angela Merkel. She also added that the return of the Taliban to Afghanistan is bitter.

Angela Merkel: Germany to continue Afghanistan evacuations 'for as long as possible'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday began talks with President Vladimir Putin in a historic meet that marks end of an era. This is Merkel's last Russia visit as Germany's chancellor.

She is due to step down after elections this September.

The meet&nbsp;marks end of an era as Merkel, who is from East Germany, meets Putin who was stationed in Dresden&nbsp;during his time as a KGB agent. Both&nbsp;Merkel and Putin speak each other's language fluently.

Putin is the only G-20 leader still around since Merkel took over Germany's top job.&nbsp;

The Russian leader has been described by foes and fans alike as both arrogant and charming.

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Relations between two of Europe's longest serving leaders soured in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine, drawing broad condemnation and sanctions from the West.

Friday's talks coincide with the first anniversary of the poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, an incident that severely strained Russia-Germany ties.

Putin gave Merkel flowers before the talks and said he expected a substantive meeting despite it being a "farewell" visit.

Merkel said the two had differences of opinion but that it was important to talk. She said she wanted to discuss Afghanistan as well as the situation in Russia with civil society and non-governmental organisations, some of which have been outlawed in a pre-election crackdown.

A news conference is expected at around 1300 GMT.

The anniversary of the poisoning of Navalny, Putin's most vocal domestic critic, is likely to loom large at their talks.

Navalny was flown to Germany last year after being poisoned with what the West concluded was a military nerve agent. Moscow rejects that and alleges a Western smear campaign. Navalny was jailed when he flew back to Russia.

In a letter to mark the anniversary published in three European newspapers on Friday, Navalny appealed to the West to do more to combat corruption in countries like Russia.

(With inputs from agencies)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday began talks with President Vladimir Putin in a historic meet that marks end of an era. This is Merkel's last Russia visit as Germany's chancellor.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday began talks with President Vladimir Putin in a historic meet that marks end of an era. This is Merkel's last Russia visit as Germany's chancellor. She is due to step down after elections this September. The meet marks end of an era as Merkel, who is from East Germany, meets Putin who was stationed in Dresden during his time as a KGB agent. Both Merkel and Putin speak each other's language fluently. Putin is the only G-20 leader still around since Merkel took over Germany's top job. The Russian leader has been described by foes and fans alike as both arrogant and charming. Also Read | Russian spy faces investigation after she falls in love with her subject Relations between two of Europe's longest serving leaders soured in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine, drawing broad condemnation and sanctions from the West. Friday's talks coincide with the first anniversary of the poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, an incident that severely strained Russia-Germany ties. Putin gave Merkel flowers before the talks and said he expected a substantive meeting despite it being a "farewell" visit. Merkel said the two had differences of opinion but that it was important to talk. She said she wanted to discuss Afghanistan as well as the situation in Russia with civil society and non-governmental organisations, some of which have been outlawed in a pre-election crackdown. A news conference is expected at around 1300 GMT. The anniversary of the poisoning of Navalny, Putin's most vocal domestic critic, is likely to loom large at their talks. Navalny was flown to Germany last year after being poisoned with what the West concluded was a military nerve agent. Moscow rejects that and alleges a Western smear campaign. Navalny was jailed when he flew back to Russia. In a letter to mark the anniversary published in three European newspapers on Friday, Navalny appealed to the West to do more to combat corruption in countries like Russia. (With inputs from agencies)

Angela Merkel meets Vladimir Putin one last time, marks end of an era

Germany&nbsp;will earmark up to 30 billion euros ($35 billion) to rebuild after last month's deadly floods that washed away homes, businesses and critical infrastructure, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday after talks with regional leaders.

The costs will be shared between the federal government and the 16 states, Merkel said, calling it a "sign of national solidarity".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/debris-mounts-up-after-germanys-historic-floods-402844">Debris mounts up after Germany's historic floods</a>

At least 190 people lost their lives in severe floods that pummelled western&nbsp;Germany&nbsp;in mid-July, with the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia worst hit.

Underlining the scale of the destruction, NRW state premier Armin Laschet, the conservative frontrunner to succeed Merkel, said Monday his region has not had to rebuild thousands of destroyed homes at once since World War II.

The catastrophe has also raised questions over whether enough was done to forewarn residents of the impending disaster.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/german-prosecutors-launch-probe-over-deadly-floods-403573">German prosecutors launch probe over deadly floods</a>

On Tuesday, Merkel and regional leaders agreed to improve the country's warning system, including by providing states with up to 88 million euros to upgrade and install sirens by 2023.

German prosecutors said last week they have launched an investigation against the district chief of the flood-hit region of Ahrweiler for negligence as warnings were made belatedly, resulting in the deaths of dozens of residents.

Germany will earmark up to 30 billion euros ($35 billion) to rebuild after last month's deadly floods that washed away homes, businesses and critical infrastructure, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday after talks with regional leaders.

Germany will earmark up to 30 billion euros ($35 billion) to rebuild after last month's deadly floods that washed away homes, businesses and critical infrastructure, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday after talks with regional leaders. The costs will be shared between the federal government and the 16 states, Merkel said, calling it a "sign of national solidarity". Also read | Debris mounts up after Germany's historic floods At least 190 people lost their lives in severe floods that pummelled western Germany in mid-July, with the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia worst hit. Underlining the scale of the destruction, NRW state premier Armin Laschet, the conservative frontrunner to succeed Merkel, said Monday his region has not had to rebuild thousands of destroyed homes at once since World War II. The catastrophe has also raised questions over whether enough was done to forewarn residents of the impending disaster. Also read | German prosecutors launch probe over deadly floods On Tuesday, Merkel and regional leaders agreed to improve the country's warning system, including by providing states with up to 88 million euros to upgrade and install sirens by 2023. German prosecutors said last week they have launched an investigation against the district chief of the flood-hit region of Ahrweiler for negligence as warnings were made belatedly, resulting in the deaths of dozens of residents.

Germany earmarks 30 billion euros to rebuild after floods

Armin Laschet has&nbsp;apologised on Friday after becoming the second major German candidate to be accused of plagiarism.

Laschet, the conservative frontrunner to succeed&nbsp;&nbsp;Angela Merkel as chancellor&nbsp;after German elections on September 26, said ''there are obviously mistakes for which I bear responsibility and&nbsp;I would like to apologise.''

Author and development expert Karsten Weitzenegger tweeted on Thursday that a German "plagiarism hunter" had informed him that Laschet had lifted entire sentences from his own work on integration, published a year before.

Annalena Baerbock, the Green party's chancellor candidate, was also accused of plagiarising passages of a book in June.

The scandal was one of a series of blunders that left the Greens trailing badly in the polls, having briefly overtaken the conservatives in April.

Baerbock was also criticised for her failure to declare to parliament a bonus she had received from the party, as well as inaccuracies on her CV that have since been corrected.

But more recently, Laschet has been on the back foot after he was caught on camera laughing in the background during a tribute to the victims of Germany's recent deadly floods.&nbsp;

In a survey for the RTL and NTV broadcasters published Friday, the conservative CDU/CSU alliance was down to 28 percent, while the Greens rose one point to 21 percent.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Armin Laschet has apologised on Friday after becoming the second major German candidate to be accused of plagiarism. Laschet, the conservative frontrunner to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor after German elections on September 26, said ''there are obviously mistakes for which I bear responsibility and I would like to apologise.

Armin Laschet has apologised on Friday after becoming the second major German candidate to be accused of plagiarism. Laschet, the conservative frontrunner to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor after German elections on September 26, said ''there are obviously mistakes for which I bear responsibility and I would like to apologise.'' Author and development expert Karsten Weitzenegger tweeted on Thursday that a German "plagiarism hunter" had informed him that Laschet had lifted entire sentences from his own work on integration, published a year before. Annalena Baerbock, the Green party's chancellor candidate, was also accused of plagiarising passages of a book in June. The scandal was one of a series of blunders that left the Greens trailing badly in the polls, having briefly overtaken the conservatives in April. Baerbock was also criticised for her failure to declare to parliament a bonus she had received from the party, as well as inaccuracies on her CV that have since been corrected. But more recently, Laschet has been on the back foot after he was caught on camera laughing in the background during a tribute to the victims of Germany's recent deadly floods. In a survey for the RTL and NTV broadcasters published Friday, the conservative CDU/CSU alliance was down to 28 percent, while the Greens rose one point to 21 percent. (With inputs from agencies)

Armin Laschet, favourite to succeed Merkel, admits plagiarism accusation

The damage caused by devastating floods in&nbsp;Germany&nbsp;last week is likely to cost the insurance industry up to five billion euros ($5.9 billion), the GDV insurance industry association said on Wednesday.

"We are currently expecting insured losses of four to five billion euros," Joerg Asmussen, chief executive of the GDV, said in a statement, calling the disaster "one of the most devastating storms in recent history".

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-germany-witnesses-once-in-a-millenium-floods-399117/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Damage in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate is likely to exceed the 4.65 billion euros recorded after a deluge in August 2002, it said.

However, the real cost is likely to be much higher as less than half of Germans in the affected states are insured against heavy rain and floods, the association said.

Chancellor Angela Merkel had vowed on a visit to the badly hit medieval town of Bad Muenstereifel on Tuesday that Berlin would come through to help in the short and long term.

The estimate does not include losses from the southern German state of Bavaria and in Saxony in the east last weekend.

Only around 45 per cent&nbsp;of homeowners in&nbsp;Germany&nbsp;have insurance that covers flood damage, according to the GDV, triggering a discussion about the need for compulsory insurance.

More than 170 people died in last week's flooding,&nbsp;Germany's worst natural disaster in more than half a century, and thousands went missing.

For immediate relief, the federal government will initially provide up to 200 million euros ($235.5 million) in emergency aid, and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said more funds can be made available if needed.

That will come on top of at least 250 million euros provided by the affected states to repair buildings and damaged local infrastructure and to help people in crisis situations.

The floods have dominated the political agenda before a national election in September and raised uncomfortable questions about why Europe's richest economy was caught flat-footed.

Two-thirds of Germans believe that federal and regional policymakers should have done more to protect communities from flooding, a survey by the INSA institute for German mass-circulation paper Bild showed on Wednesday.

Interior minister Horst Seehofer, who faced calls from opposition politicians to resign over the high death toll, said there would be no shortage of money for reconstruction.

"That is why people pay taxes, so that they can receive help in situations like this. Not everything can be insured," he told a news conference.

"As the time interval between heavy natural disasters gets shorter and shorter, one needs a debate about a protection scheme and how it could be designed," Seehofer said.

Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told Deutschlandfunk radio aid would include funds to help businesses such as restaurants or hair salons make up for lost revenue.

(With inputs from agencies)

The damage caused by devastating floods in Germany last week is likely to cost the insurance industry up to five billion euros ($5.9 billion), the GDV insurance industry association said on Wednesday.

The damage caused by devastating floods in Germany last week is likely to cost the insurance industry up to five billion euros ($5.9 billion), the GDV insurance industry association said on Wednesday. "We are currently expecting insured losses of four to five billion euros," Joerg Asmussen, chief executive of the GDV, said in a statement, calling the disaster "one of the most devastating storms in recent history". Damage in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate is likely to exceed the 4.65 billion euros recorded after a deluge in August 2002, it said. However, the real cost is likely to be much higher as less than half of Germans in the affected states are insured against heavy rain and floods, the association said. Chancellor Angela Merkel had vowed on a visit to the badly hit medieval town of Bad Muenstereifel on Tuesday that Berlin would come through to help in the short and long term. The estimate does not include losses from the southern German state of Bavaria and in Saxony in the east last weekend. Only around 45 per cent of homeowners in Germany have insurance that covers flood damage, according to the GDV, triggering a discussion about the need for compulsory insurance. More than 170 people died in last week's flooding, Germany's worst natural disaster in more than half a century, and thousands went missing. For immediate relief, the federal government will initially provide up to 200 million euros ($235.5 million) in emergency aid, and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said more funds can be made available if needed. That will come on top of at least 250 million euros provided by the affected states to repair buildings and damaged local infrastructure and to help people in crisis situations. The floods have dominated the political agenda before a national election in September and raised uncomfortable questions about why Europe's richest economy was caught flat-footed. Two-thirds of Germans believe that federal and regional policymakers should have done more to protect communities from flooding, a survey by the INSA institute for German mass-circulation paper Bild showed on Wednesday. Interior minister Horst Seehofer, who faced calls from opposition politicians to resign over the high death toll, said there would be no shortage of money for reconstruction. "That is why people pay taxes, so that they can receive help in situations like this. Not everything can be insured," he told a news conference. "As the time interval between heavy natural disasters gets shorter and shorter, one needs a debate about a protection scheme and how it could be designed," Seehofer said. Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told Deutschlandfunk radio aid would include funds to help businesses such as restaurants or hair salons make up for lost revenue. (With inputs from agencies)

Floods in Germany likely caused damages worth almost $6 billion to insurance industry

German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with the Cabinet in Berlin on Wednesday in order to approve an enormous emergency relief package to rebuild Germany's flood-ravaged regions.

Germany: Government announces financial aid for victims

German Chancellor Angela Merkel reached the flood-affected region of the country on Sunday to assess the damage and meet the survivors.

Germany was hit by severe floods in the last few days that took more than 183 lives, injured hundreds, and misplaced dozens.

As soon as the rains stopped a bit, Merkel rushed to the village of Schuld in Rhineland-Palatinate state. She was spotted wearing hiking boots while fist-bumping rescue volunteers. She spent hours listening to the stories of the survivors and expressed condolences to the families of the victims.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/fatal-flooding-ravage-western-europe-over-100-dead-and-hundreds-missing-398841">WATCH |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/fatal-flooding-ravage-western-europe-over-100-dead-and-hundreds-missing-398841/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

It is a surreal, eerie situation," she said. "It is shocking — I can almost say that the German language doesn't have words for the destruction that's been wreaked."

The Rhineland-Palatinate state alone has reported at least 100 dead bodies and 670 injured individuals after days of floods, which are being labelled as the worst floods in the recent past.

While some people were happy to see the leader come personally to check the damage, many people decided to instead volunteer in the search and rescue mission rather than following Merkel in her walkabout.

Meanwhile, as the death toll crossed 180, Germany’s insurance industry has urged the government to rethink its plans and policies related to climate change. "In many places, adaptation to the consequences of climate change is being neglected," Joerg Asmussen, managing director of the German Insurance Association (GDV) told local media. "We have to change course here, otherwise a spiral of further catastrophes and increasing damage will be set in motion, which will first become expensive and then at some point unaffordable."

Merkel, too, urged fellow leaders to "hurry" in its fight against global warming as experts warned extreme weather conditions will become more frequent in near future. "We have to be faster in the fight against climate change," Merkel said.

Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog, has also offered support to Germany to express "our friendship and support of the German people in this time of destruction and loss."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel reached the flood-affected region of the country on Sunday to assess the damage and meet the survivors. Germany was hit by severe floods in the last few days that took more than 183 lives, injured hundreds, and misplaced dozens.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel reached the flood-affected region of the country on Sunday to assess the damage and meet the survivors. Germany was hit by severe floods in the last few days that took more than 183 lives, injured hundreds, and misplaced dozens. As soon as the rains stopped a bit, Merkel rushed to the village of Schuld in Rhineland-Palatinate state. She was spotted wearing hiking boots while fist-bumping rescue volunteers. She spent hours listening to the stories of the survivors and expressed condolences to the families of the victims. WATCH | It is a surreal, eerie situation," she said. "It is shocking — I can almost say that the German language doesn't have words for the destruction that's been wreaked." The Rhineland-Palatinate state alone has reported at least 100 dead bodies and 670 injured individuals after days of floods, which are being labelled as the worst floods in the recent past. While some people were happy to see the leader come personally to check the damage, many people decided to instead volunteer in the search and rescue mission rather than following Merkel in her walkabout. Meanwhile, as the death toll crossed 180, Germany’s insurance industry has urged the government to rethink its plans and policies related to climate change. "In many places, adaptation to the consequences of climate change is being neglected," Joerg Asmussen, managing director of the German Insurance Association (GDV) told local media. "We have to change course here, otherwise a spiral of further catastrophes and increasing damage will be set in motion, which will first become expensive and then at some point unaffordable." Merkel, too, urged fellow leaders to "hurry" in its fight against global warming as experts warned extreme weather conditions will become more frequent in near future. "We have to be faster in the fight against climate change," Merkel said. Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog, has also offered support to Germany to express "our friendship and support of the German people in this time of destruction and loss."

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel visits flood-affected area

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to visit flood-ravaged western Germany on Sunday. Worst rainfall in living memory has caused huge destruction and lef more that 130 people dead as per regional officials.

AFP quoted a spokeswoman for regional interior ministry to say that Merkel will travel to the hard-hit town of Schuld in Rhineland-Palatinate state.

The visit is set to take place in the afternoon, the spokeswoman said.

Merkel has already termed the flooding a national "tragedy" and has promised support from federal government.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier toured the town of Erftstadt in the western state of North-Rhine Westphalia on Saturday, to survey the damage from a massive landslide caused by the extreme weather.

The main candidates in the race to succeed Merkel at September's general election have all travelled to the stricken areas in recent days.

Merkel's visit has been delayed because she only returned on Friday from a high-profile trip to Washington, her last official visit as chancellor.

Speaking alongside US President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday, Merkel said her "heart goes out to all of those who in this catastrophe lost their loved ones".

(With inputs from agencies)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to visit flood-ravaged western Germany on Sunday. Worst rainfall in living memory has caused huge destruction and lef more that 130 people dead as per regional officials.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to visit flood-ravaged western Germany on Sunday. Worst rainfall in living memory has caused huge destruction and lef more that 130 people dead as per regional officials. AFP quoted a spokeswoman for regional interior ministry to say that Merkel will travel to the hard-hit town of Schuld in Rhineland-Palatinate state. The visit is set to take place in the afternoon, the spokeswoman said. Merkel has already termed the flooding a national "tragedy" and has promised support from federal government. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier toured the town of Erftstadt in the western state of North-Rhine Westphalia on Saturday, to survey the damage from a massive landslide caused by the extreme weather. The main candidates in the race to succeed Merkel at September's general election have all travelled to the stricken areas in recent days. Merkel's visit has been delayed because she only returned on Friday from a high-profile trip to Washington, her last official visit as chancellor. Speaking alongside US President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday, Merkel said her "heart goes out to all of those who in this catastrophe lost their loved ones". (With inputs from agencies)

Angela Merkel to visit flood-hit western Germany on Sunday

Signaling that the U.S.-European alliance remained strong after the tension of the Trump era, President Joe Biden and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany on Thursday stressed their shared values, even as both acknowledged differences on a major Russian pipeline and how best to approach China.

During meetings at the White House, Biden’s agenda included several of his most pressing geopolitical priorities, such as restraining Chinese influence, curbing Russian aggression and waiving intellectual property restrictions on coronavirus vaccine manufacturers.

While there were no apparent breakthroughs, the visit was a way to show a unified front after President Donald Trump’s hostile exchanges with Merkel over NATO contributions, trade and multilateralism badly frayed relations. The meeting also comes before the chancellor’s term ends and a new German government will be sworn in after elections on Sept. 26.

“Good friends can disagree,” said Biden, who appeared alongside Merkel at a news conference in the East Room after the meeting.

For the most part, the trip appeared to be a triumph of the personal over policy. Biden joked that Merkel, who has worked with four U.S. presidents, “knows the Oval Office as well as I do.” The chancellor referred to the president as “dear Joe” several times as she extolled their friendly relationship, which has endured since his time in the Senate.

But the warmth could not cloak the fact that neither leader had shifted from their most substantive areas of disagreement.

Biden said he broached the contentious issue of the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a natural gas conduit being built between Germany and Russia that is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The president and his predecessors have assailed the project as little more than a coercive tool against Ukraine and other allies.

“We’ve come to different assessments,” Merkel said of the project.

Biden said the two had agreed that they were “united in our conviction that Russia should not be able to use energy as a weapon.”

The president waived congressional sanctions this year on the Russian company building the pipeline and its German chief executive, effectively conceding that an effort to halt the project was not worth the expected cost to U.S.-German relations.

Merkel kept her comments nonspecific on countering China, whose influence Biden believes poses an existential threat to American democracy.

“There is a lot of common understanding that China in many areas is our competitor,” the chancellor said, careful not to run afoul of Germany’s largest trading partner. She added that “trade with China needs to rest on the assumption that we have a level playing field.”

The two leaders also signaled that they remained apart on their approach to containing the pandemic. Merkel did not commit to the lifting of patents for coronavirus vaccines, and Biden did not raise the issue in front of reporters. Merkel said she had asked the president if his administration would end a travel ban against Europeans, but he did not commit to ending it.

“I did raise the issue,” the chancellor said, “and got the same answer that the president gave you: The COVID team is evaluating the matter.”

Still, the leaders repeatedly emphasized their one-on-one relationship in their public appearances, a sharp divergence from Merkel’s chilly and stilted interactions with Trump, who maligned her as “captive to Russia.” When asked to compare Biden’s leadership style with his predecessor’s, the chancellor was characteristically restrained, emphasizing that she and Biden had a “very friendly exchange.”

“We are not only partners and allies,” Merkel said, “but we are very close friends.”

The president began the event by offering his condolences to Germans for the loss of life and property caused by recent floods. He went on to thank the chancellor for “an exemplary life of groundbreaking service to Germany.”

Biden was asked to confront cases of diplomatic turmoil closer to home, including protests in Cuba and unrest after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse of Haiti. He told a reporter that beyond dispatching Marines to guard the U.S. Embassy there, he was not considering sending U.S. troops.

Addressing a wave of demonstrations across Cuba, Biden accused its government of being a “failed state” that was “repressing their citizens” and said he would not end rules against payments Americans can make to their Cuban relatives because he could not be sure that the government would not take them.

“I would not do that now,” he said, “because the fact is, it is highly likely that the regime would confiscate those remittances, or big chunks.”

The president grew testy when he was asked about his top domestic economic priorities. When asked if he was confident that a $3.5 trillion budget framework drawn up by Democrats would be enough to pass with every Democratic senator on board, Biden chastised the news media as preemptively suggesting that the plan, along with negotiations over an infrastructure deal, was headed for failure.

“I am supremely confident that everything is going to work out perfectly,” he said dryly. “I have watched and listened to the press declare my initiative dead at least 10 times so far. I don’t think it is dead. I think it is still alive.”

Aside from more thorny policy issues, Merkel’s visit was a diplomatic victory lap of sorts before her term expires. She started her day with a cheese soufflé breakfast with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Later in the day, the chancellor received an honorary doctorate from Johns Hopkins University, adding to her collection of degrees from Harvard and Stanford. Once she arrived at the White House, Merkel and the president exchanged compliments in the Oval Office.

Though the exchange was not overly warm, it was leagues more collegial than Merkel’s past meetings in the Oval Office. When she asked Trump in 2017, “Do you want to have a handshake?” Trump apparently did not.

Just as Merkel spent years responding mildly to Trump, she has not always been overeager to accept Biden’s entreaties that the U.S.-German relationship had been restored to a sense of normalcy. During the virtual Munich Security Conference held this year, she said of the U.S. relationship that “our interests will not always converge.”

By the time of the news conference on Thursday, Biden and Merkel seemed more interested in continuing her farewell party than discussing what divided them.

After the news conference, they attended dinner with longtime allies, including Hillary Clinton. Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, the House minority leader, was also scheduled to attend after a trip earlier in the day to see Trump at his golf club in New Jersey.

After the two leaders fielded questions, Biden steered Merkel away from reporters.

“If we don’t leave right now,” he told her, “we are going to miss dinner.”

Signaling that the U.S.-European alliance remained strong after the tension of the Trump era, President Joe Biden and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany on Thursday stressed their shared values, even as both acknowledged differences on a major Russian pipeline and how best to approach China.

Signaling that the U.S.-European alliance remained strong after the tension of the Trump era, President Joe Biden and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany on Thursday stressed their shared values, even as both acknowledged differences on a major Russian pipeline and how best to approach China. During meetings at the White House, Biden’s agenda included several of his most pressing geopolitical priorities, such as restraining Chinese influence, curbing Russian aggression and waiving intellectual property restrictions on coronavirus vaccine manufacturers. While there were no apparent breakthroughs, the visit was a way to show a unified front after President Donald Trump’s hostile exchanges with Merkel over NATO contributions, trade and multilateralism badly frayed relations. The meeting also comes before the chancellor’s term ends and a new German government will be sworn in after elections on Sept. 26. “Good friends can disagree,” said Biden, who appeared alongside Merkel at a news conference in the East Room after the meeting. For the most part, the trip appeared to be a triumph of the personal over policy. Biden joked that Merkel, who has worked with four U.S. presidents, “knows the Oval Office as well as I do.” The chancellor referred to the president as “dear Joe” several times as she extolled their friendly relationship, which has endured since his time in the Senate. But the warmth could not cloak the fact that neither leader had shifted from their most substantive areas of disagreement. Biden said he broached the contentious issue of the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a natural gas conduit being built between Germany and Russia that is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The president and his predecessors have assailed the project as little more than a coercive tool against Ukraine and other allies. “We’ve come to different assessments,” Merkel said of the project. Biden said the two had agreed that they were “united in our conviction that Russia should not be able to use energy as a weapon.” The president waived congressional sanctions this year on the Russian company building the pipeline and its German chief executive, effectively conceding that an effort to halt the project was not worth the expected cost to U.S.-German relations. Merkel kept her comments nonspecific on countering China, whose influence Biden believes poses an existential threat to American democracy. “There is a lot of common understanding that China in many areas is our competitor,” the chancellor said, careful not to run afoul of Germany’s largest trading partner. She added that “trade with China needs to rest on the assumption that we have a level playing field.” The two leaders also signaled that they remained apart on their approach to containing the pandemic. Merkel did not commit to the lifting of patents for coronavirus vaccines, and Biden did not raise the issue in front of reporters. Merkel said she had asked the president if his administration would end a travel ban against Europeans, but he did not commit to ending it. “I did raise the issue,” the chancellor said, “and got the same answer that the president gave you: The COVID team is evaluating the matter.” Still, the leaders repeatedly emphasized their one-on-one relationship in their public appearances, a sharp divergence from Merkel’s chilly and stilted interactions with Trump, who maligned her as “captive to Russia.” When asked to compare Biden’s leadership style with his predecessor’s, the chancellor was characteristically restrained, emphasizing that she and Biden had a “very friendly exchange.” “We are not only partners and allies,” Merkel said, “but we are very close friends.” The president began the event by offering his condolences to Germans for the loss of life and property caused by recent floods. He went on to thank the chancellor for “an exemplary life of groundbreaking service to Germany.” Biden was asked to confront cases of diplomatic turmoil closer to home, including protests in Cuba and unrest after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse of Haiti. He told a reporter that beyond dispatching Marines to guard the U.S. Embassy there, he was not considering sending U.S. troops. Addressing a wave of demonstrations across Cuba, Biden accused its government of being a “failed state” that was “repressing their citizens” and said he would not end rules against payments Americans can make to their Cuban relatives because he could not be sure that the government would not take them. “I would not do that now,” he said, “because the fact is, it is highly likely that the regime would confiscate those remittances, or big chunks.” The president grew testy when he was asked about his top domestic economic priorities. When asked if he was confident that a $3.5 trillion budget framework drawn up by Democrats would be enough to pass with every Democratic senator on board, Biden chastised the news media as preemptively suggesting that the plan, along with negotiations over an infrastructure deal, was headed for failure. “I am supremely confident that everything is going to work out perfectly,” he said dryly. “I have watched and listened to the press declare my initiative dead at least 10 times so far. I don’t think it is dead. I think it is still alive.” Aside from more thorny policy issues, Merkel’s visit was a diplomatic victory lap of sorts before her term expires. She started her day with a cheese soufflé breakfast with Vice President Kamala Harris. Later in the day, the chancellor received an honorary doctorate from Johns Hopkins University, adding to her collection of degrees from Harvard and Stanford. Once she arrived at the White House, Merkel and the president exchanged compliments in the Oval Office. Though the exchange was not overly warm, it was leagues more collegial than Merkel’s past meetings in the Oval Office. When she asked Trump in 2017, “Do you want to have a handshake?” Trump apparently did not. Just as Merkel spent years responding mildly to Trump, she has not always been overeager to accept Biden’s entreaties that the U.S.-German relationship had been restored to a sense of normalcy. During the virtual Munich Security Conference held this year, she said of the U.S. relationship that “our interests will not always converge.” By the time of the news conference on Thursday, Biden and Merkel seemed more interested in continuing her farewell party than discussing what divided them. After the news conference, they attended dinner with longtime allies, including Hillary Clinton. Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, the House minority leader, was also scheduled to attend after a trip earlier in the day to see Trump at his golf club in New Jersey. After the two leaders fielded questions, Biden steered Merkel away from reporters. “If we don’t leave right now,” he told her, “we are going to miss dinner.”

Acknowledging disagreements, Biden and Merkel signal warmer US-German ties

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is in the United States for probably the last time before she leaves office. A number of topics were under discussion during talks at the White House, such as the Nord Stream 2 project, COVID-19 travel restrictions and ongoing concerns over Russia and China.

Biden welcomes 'great friend' Merkel to the White House

While local authorities are urging people to get vaccinated as soon as possible, Germany’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has assured that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">coronavirus vaccinations</a> will not be made compulsory in the country.

"We have no intention of going down this road," Merkel said in a press conference. "There will be no compulsory vaccination."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-government-embarking-on-dangerous-and-unethical-experiment-says-lancet-on-july-19-reopening-plans-397870">UK embarking on unethical experiment, says Lancet on reopening plans</a>

The German leader’s announcement came a day after France’s leader, Emmanuel Macron, announced that people who do not get vaccinated will face some restrictions in key areas. Talking about the same, Merkel has assured that Germany will not be following France and other countries.

However, she also urged locals to get vaccinated on their own as soon as possible. "The more are vaccinated, the more free we can be again," she told locals. "We are at the beginning of the phase in which we are still promoting (vaccination), where we have more vaccines than we have people who want to be vaccinated."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-chief-scientist-warns-against-mixing-and-matching-different-covid-vaccines-397774" hreflang="en">WHO chief scientist warns against 'mixing and matching' different Covid vaccines</a>

Her statement has come a few months after the country started the vaccination programme earlier this year. The campaign saw a slow start but authorities managed to fully vaccinate 42.6 per cent of adults and 58.5 per cent of locals have been vaccinated at least with one dose.

While local authorities are urging people to get vaccinated as soon as possible, Germany’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has assured that coronavirus vaccinations will not be made compulsory in the country.

While local authorities are urging people to get vaccinated as soon as possible, Germany’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has assured that coronavirus vaccinations will not be made compulsory in the country. "We have no intention of going down this road," Merkel said in a press conference. "There will be no compulsory vaccination." Also read | UK embarking on unethical experiment, says Lancet on reopening plans The German leader’s announcement came a day after France’s leader, Emmanuel Macron, announced that people who do not get vaccinated will face some restrictions in key areas. Talking about the same, Merkel has assured that Germany will not be following France and other countries. However, she also urged locals to get vaccinated on their own as soon as possible. "The more are vaccinated, the more free we can be again," she told locals. "We are at the beginning of the phase in which we are still promoting (vaccination), where we have more vaccines than we have people who want to be vaccinated." Also read | WHO chief scientist warns against 'mixing and matching' different Covid vaccines Her statement has come a few months after the country started the vaccination programme earlier this year. The campaign saw a slow start but authorities managed to fully vaccinate 42.6 per cent of adults and 58.5 per cent of locals have been vaccinated at least with one dose.

'Not going down this road': Merkel says vaccines not compulsory in Germany

Repeatedly questioned about how she will juggle motherhood with work, the only woman with a chance of succeeding Angela Merkel as&nbsp;German Chancellor&nbsp;says many&nbsp;Germans don't seem ready for a mother with young children to take over.

Merkel was&nbsp;Germany's first woman&nbsp;chancellor&nbsp;but she never had children. Now the Greens believe 40-year-old Annalena Baerbock faces a lingering stereotype that the incumbent never had to deal with: mothers should be running families, not countries.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/german-greens-election-hopeful-targeted-by-fake-news-381474">German Greens' election hopeful targeted by fake news</a>

Three months before&nbsp;Germans go to the polls, the media has questioned whether a mother could successfully lead&nbsp;Germany, prompting a heated debate about prevalent sexist attitudes.

On the campaign trail, Baerbock has been asked often about her children. An editor of mass-circulation newspaper Bild asked in an interview: "You are&nbsp;chancellor&nbsp;and are in the middle of negotiations, and you suddenly get a call from your children, would you&nbsp;answer? Did your children find it ok that you want to be&nbsp;chancellor?"

The host of a popular political TV talk show, Anne Will, pressed Baerbock on whether she won the Greens' nomination for&nbsp;chancellor&nbsp;because she is a woman, even though the party's backing was almost unanimous.

"It's been the elephant in the room for some time now that you only got it because you are a woman," Will said.

Baerbock responded: "I'm not going to have a sex change in the next six months. Of course the question of emancipation played a role but it wasn't the only reason."

The Greens, the only party in the Bundestag national parliament with more female than male lawmakers, briefly surged in the polls to overtake Merkel's conservative bloc after Baerbock's nomination but is now polling some 10 points behind at around 20 per cent.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/germanys-greens-make-first-bid-for-chancellery-promise-change-378640">Germany's Greens make first bid for chancellery, promise change</a>

Pollsters say this is a sign that&nbsp;German&nbsp;voters want them to be in the next coalition government but not in the driver's seat.

The ecologist party says the relentless questioning of Baerbock's suitability for top office is unjustified and that the media have not scrutinised her male rivals as vigorously.

It also points to a fake news campaign that appeared online soon after her nomination. This has included false claims that she was paid for a nude photoshoot - the pictures of which turned out to be of a Russian adult entertainment model that bears a striking resemblance to Baerbock - fake quotes that she wants to ban owning pets, and another false report that she does not have a university degree.

"The hate campaign against Baerbock is unprecedented in&nbsp;German&nbsp;election history and far exceeds anything we have seen against Merkel," Michael Butter of the University of Tuebingen said. "It shows that people took it seriously that a Greens&nbsp;chancellor&nbsp;could end up leading&nbsp;Germany."

To be sure, missteps by Baerbock like an unreported party bonus and inaccurate details in her curriculum vitae have invited media scrutiny, and her lack of experience in government has been picked on by critics, often with sexist undertones.

"Character Assassination"

Late last month, the Greens hired a prominent libel lawyer to fight allegations that Baerbock had in her new book lifted phrases from other texts without proper citation, accusations rejected by the party as "character assassination".

She has denied any wrongdoing.

Baerbock has shaken up the election campaign with vows to scrap a controversial pipeline project to bring Russian gas to&nbsp;Germany, confront China on its human rights record and permanently abolish strict constitutional limits on new debt to finance a transition to a carbon-neutral economy.

Pollsters say her style and focus on the environment are particularly appealing to young voters, especially women.

Trousers Vs Skirts

Merkel also faced media scrutiny ahead of the 2005 election, in which she won her first term.

Commentators, economists and members of Merkel's own conservative bloc cast doubt on her ability to make sound decisions on the economy. Photographers snapped pictures of sweat stains beneath her armpit as she waved to journalists on the red carpet outside an opera house, which made it to newspapers' front pages.

"Baerbock looks more feminine than Merkel: she is younger, has longer hair, wears dresses and skirts," Katharina Wrohlich of the&nbsp;German&nbsp;Institute for Economic Research DIW said.

"Merkel is older, has shorter hair, and wears trousers and jackets. So this makes her (Baerbock) an easier and more obvious target of gender bias and sexism than Merkel," she said.

Baerbock's male rivals jumped to her defence after the plagiarism accusations surfaced.

Armin Laschet, the conservative&nbsp;chancellor&nbsp;candidate most likely to succeed Merkel, said the media's questioning of whether Baerbock could juggle motherhood and the chancellery was inappropriate. Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, a chancellor&nbsp;candidate of the Social Democrats, said she was being treated unfairly.

Baerbock summed up how she feels about media coverage of her flagging campaign in an interview with women's magazine Brigitte: "I&nbsp;sense, or am often told, that it is an imposition that I, as a 40-year-old woman with young children, am standing as&nbsp;chancellor&nbsp;candidate. This is where I say women must be able to everything."

Repeatedly questioned about how she will juggle motherhood with work, the only woman with a chance of succeeding Angela Merkel as German Chancellor says many Germans don't seem ready for a mother with young children to take over.

Repeatedly questioned about how she will juggle motherhood with work, the only woman with a chance of succeeding Angela Merkel as German Chancellor says many Germans don't seem ready for a mother with young children to take over. Merkel was Germany's first woman chancellor but she never had children. Now the Greens believe 40-year-old Annalena Baerbock faces a lingering stereotype that the incumbent never had to deal with: mothers should be running families, not countries. Also read | German Greens' election hopeful targeted by fake news Three months before Germans go to the polls, the media has questioned whether a mother could successfully lead Germany, prompting a heated debate about prevalent sexist attitudes. On the campaign trail, Baerbock has been asked often about her children. An editor of mass-circulation newspaper Bild asked in an interview: "You are chancellor and are in the middle of negotiations, and you suddenly get a call from your children, would you answer? Did your children find it ok that you want to be chancellor?" The host of a popular political TV talk show, Anne Will, pressed Baerbock on whether she won the Greens' nomination for chancellor because she is a woman, even though the party's backing was almost unanimous. "It's been the elephant in the room for some time now that you only got it because you are a woman," Will said. Baerbock responded: "I'm not going to have a sex change in the next six months. Of course the question of emancipation played a role but it wasn't the only reason." The Greens, the only party in the Bundestag national parliament with more female than male lawmakers, briefly surged in the polls to overtake Merkel's conservative bloc after Baerbock's nomination but is now polling some 10 points behind at around 20 per cent. Also read | Germany's Greens make first bid for chancellery, promise change Pollsters say this is a sign that German voters want them to be in the next coalition government but not in the driver's seat. The ecologist party says the relentless questioning of Baerbock's suitability for top office is unjustified and that the media have not scrutinised her male rivals as vigorously. It also points to a fake news campaign that appeared online soon after her nomination. This has included false claims that she was paid for a nude photoshoot - the pictures of which turned out to be of a Russian adult entertainment model that bears a striking resemblance to Baerbock - fake quotes that she wants to ban owning pets, and another false report that she does not have a university degree. "The hate campaign against Baerbock is unprecedented in German election history and far exceeds anything we have seen against Merkel," Michael Butter of the University of Tuebingen said. "It shows that people took it seriously that a Greens chancellor could end up leading Germany." To be sure, missteps by Baerbock like an unreported party bonus and inaccurate details in her curriculum vitae have invited media scrutiny, and her lack of experience in government has been picked on by critics, often with sexist undertones. "Character Assassination" Late last month, the Greens hired a prominent libel lawyer to fight allegations that Baerbock had in her new book lifted phrases from other texts without proper citation, accusations rejected by the party as "character assassination". She has denied any wrongdoing. Baerbock has shaken up the election campaign with vows to scrap a controversial pipeline project to bring Russian gas to Germany, confront China on its human rights record and permanently abolish strict constitutional limits on new debt to finance a transition to a carbon-neutral economy. Pollsters say her style and focus on the environment are particularly appealing to young voters, especially women. Trousers Vs Skirts Merkel also faced media scrutiny ahead of the 2005 election, in which she won her first term. Commentators, economists and members of Merkel's own conservative bloc cast doubt on her ability to make sound decisions on the economy. Photographers snapped pictures of sweat stains beneath her armpit as she waved to journalists on the red carpet outside an opera house, which made it to newspapers' front pages. "Baerbock looks more feminine than Merkel: she is younger, has longer hair, wears dresses and skirts," Katharina Wrohlich of the German Institute for Economic Research DIW said. "Merkel is older, has shorter hair, and wears trousers and jackets. So this makes her (Baerbock) an easier and more obvious target of gender bias and sexism than Merkel," she said. Baerbock's male rivals jumped to her defence after the plagiarism accusations surfaced. Armin Laschet, the conservative chancellor candidate most likely to succeed Merkel, said the media's questioning of whether Baerbock could juggle motherhood and the chancellery was inappropriate. Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, a chancellor candidate of the Social Democrats, said she was being treated unfairly. Baerbock summed up how she feels about media coverage of her flagging campaign in an interview with women's magazine Brigitte: "I sense, or am often told, that it is an imposition that I, as a 40-year-old woman with young children, am standing as chancellor candidate. This is where I say women must be able to everything."

Greens candidate for German Chancellor says sexist scrutiny holding her back

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a virtual meeting to discuss the status of relations between the European Union (EU) and China.

Xi Jinping holds virtual meeting with French and German leaders

Angela Merkel, German Chancellor, said on Friday (July 2) that she was worried over UEFA decision to allow big crowds at ongoing Euro 2020 football tournament during Covid spike due to coronavirus caused by Delta variant.

"I am worried and sceptical about whether this is good," Merkel told a joint news conference with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Johnson however said that he didn't plan to order reduction in crowds.

Crowd capacity at Wembley stadium will be increased to more than 60,000 fans for the semi-finals and final of Euro 2020 under a pilot scheme announced last week.

Johnson also said Britain had built up a "considerable wall of immunity" against COVID-19 with its vaccination programme.

The World Health Organisation said on Thursday that crowds at Euro 2020 stadiums and in pubs and bars in host cities were driving the current rise in coronavirus infections in Europe.

(With inputs from agencies)

Angela Merkel, German Chancellor, said on Friday (July 2) that she was worried over UEFA decision to allow big crowds at ongoing Euro 2020 football tournament during Covid spike due to coronavirus caused by Delta variant.

Angela Merkel, German Chancellor, said on Friday (July 2) that she was worried over UEFA decision to allow big crowds at ongoing Euro 2020 football tournament during Covid spike due to coronavirus caused by Delta variant. "I am worried and sceptical about whether this is good," Merkel told a joint news conference with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Johnson however said that he didn't plan to order reduction in crowds. Crowd capacity at Wembley stadium will be increased to more than 60,000 fans for the semi-finals and final of Euro 2020 under a pilot scheme announced last week. Johnson also said Britain had built up a "considerable wall of immunity" against COVID-19 with its vaccination programme. The World Health Organisation said on Thursday that crowds at Euro 2020 stadiums and in pubs and bars in host cities were driving the current rise in coronavirus infections in Europe. (With inputs from agencies)

Merkel concerned about big Euro 2020 crowds

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