After a decade and a half in the political wilderness, German Social Democrats (the SPD) made a dramatic comeback in Sunday’s election and have the opportunity to define Social Democracy for the 21st century. Now the largest party in the Bundestag, they are strongly favoured by voters to form the next government. Their resurgence is […]
German Presidency
The main message of Germany’s elections on 26 September is: the Social Democrats are back. The whole Scandinavian North and the German middle of the European continent will have a Social Democratic head of government. Only a few months ago, nobody would have expected that, except Olaf Scholz himself, who predicted that with the return […]
In Germany, the SPD has won the elections and has the chance to lead the next government. However, Olaf Scholz will need both the liberal FDP and the Greens to support him to become chancellor. Both parties could alternatively support Armin Laschet, whose centre-right CDU/CSU-party came second. Talks between all four parties are underway and […]
The seven-year financial framework and the recovery budget of the European Union have been taken hostage by a bitter dispute over the rule of law. The European Parliament (EP) asserts itself as a guardian of EU values, imposing its requirements at last on the spending machinery of the Union. The declaration by the four leaders […]
On the 1st of July, Germany took over the rotating presidency of the EU Council. For some, and especially for the readers of the late sociologist Ulrich Beck, the significance of this might be questionable.