French President François Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian premier Matteo Renzi will hold a Brexit summit in August. Photo: John MacDougall/AFP Leaders of Italy, France and Germany will hold a summit in Italy in August on the aftermath of the UK's decision to leave the EU. French President François Hollande said on Wednesday that the meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi would take place towards the end of August, according to a report in the French newspaper, Le Monde. The announcement came as Theresa May took over as British Prime Minister after David Cameron stepped down. She last night announced her new cabinet, which includes Boris Johnson, who campaigned for the UK to leave the EU, as foreign minister. David Davis, a eurosceptic, has been appointed secretary for the so-called Brexit. She also told European leaders that she was committed to the UK leaving the EU. Renzi wished her well in … [Read more...] about Italy, France and Germany to hold Brexit summit in August
Germany
The AfD: Germany’s new opposition hampered by sloppy research and poor German
After the Social Democrats voted to join a new coalition government with Angela Merkel on Sunday, they paved the way for the far-right AfD to become the official opposition in the Bundestag. The AfD are the largest party in the Bundestag outside of the SPD and Merkel's Christian Union, meaning they take over the role of opposition enjoyed by Die Linke during the last parliament. This is largely a ceremonial task - the opposition have the first right to reply to a parliamentary speech by the government. Unlike in Britain for instance, there is no shadow cabinet in Germany. But being opposition ensures more public exposure for the AfD than for the Free Democrats (FDP), the Greens and Die Linke, the other small parties in the current parliament. Just how effective the AfD will be in the role remains to be seen. Their leader, Alexander Gauland, boisterously claimed that the AfD would “hunt down” the establishment when election results rolled in last September. But since … [Read more...] about The AfD: Germany’s new opposition hampered by sloppy research and poor German
Germany spied on EU allies: new report
The BND spy station in Bad Aibling, Bavaria. Picture: Diether Endlicher/DPA Germany's intelligence agency eavesdropped on many of the country's closest European allies, including France, Sweden, Italy, Spain and Britain, according to new reports. Among the targets were several embassies in Germany, and international organisations such as the Red Cross, German newspaper Der Spiegel reported on Saturday. The German intelligence agency BND has already been accused of eavesdropping on officials at the French foreign ministry and presidency, as well as the European Commission, on behalf of its US counterpart, the NSA. Public radio RBB and Spiegel Online had earlier claimed that the BND had also spied on its own account on several embassies and administrations of "European states and allies". Spiegel, without giving any sources, said on Saturday that "the BND had systematically spied on 'allies' across the world, including on the interior ministries of the … [Read more...] about Germany spied on EU allies: new report
Germany’s Merkel comes to Switzerland’s defence
Swiss President Didier Burkhalter shares laugh with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at press conference in Berlin. Photo: Johannes Eisele/AFP German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday warned against haste in the EU's response to a recent Swiss referendum curbing immigration from member states of the bloc. In a Berlin joint press conference with Swiss President Didier Burkhalter, Merkel said Germany should watch how Switzerland implements the changes over the next three years. In a day of what Swiss media called "diplomatic ballet", Burkhalter was heading to Paris after his visit with Merkel to meet with French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius. … [Read more...] about Germany’s Merkel comes to Switzerland’s defence
‘Spring Cleaners’ Scrape Swastika Off Church Bell in Germany
(UPI) — Anti-Nazi vandals scraped a swastika off of an old church bell in a small town in Germany. The bell has hung in a church in Schweringen, located in the northwest Germany, since 1934. And sometime over Easter, the swastika was scraped off.In a letter published in local newspaper Die Harke, the vandals explained their motive. “We did spring cleaning,” the note said in German, according to a translation by the BBC. “Not only the village cleaned, but also the bell. Of pigeon dung, of the filth of the National Socialists, who still threatened after 80 years to divide the village population, and hopefully also of the dirt that might have been thrown off about Schweringen.”Although the swastika has been on the bell for decades, it apparently didn’t set off any controversy until last September, when some people voiced opposition to having it in the town’s church. The parish council then voted to remove the bell. According to EuroNews, the … [Read more...] about ‘Spring Cleaners’ Scrape Swastika Off Church Bell in Germany