Germany
The danger of Germany’s current account surpluses
Through the prism of the trade balance, the current account surplus can be viewed as a symptom of Germany’s economic success. German exports increased from 30% of GDP in 2000 to 47% in 2015. But with imports at merely 39% of GDP, this implies that Germany is providing capital to the rest of the world at a very high rate. Indeed, German savings have
Germany vs. China – Neoliberalism strikes back
While trade experts warn that a recent spending spree by Chinese companies — many of them supported by the Chinese government — will harm the competitiveness of European business in the long-term, Berlin and Brussels are struggling to come up with a political response.
Statement for a Standing Plan B in Europe
We, the undersigned, elected representatives, academics, trade unionists, social movements, party organisations, commit ourselves to a standing Plan B for Europe as a force of opposition and alternative to the European institutions. We refuse a Europe of permanent austerity, attacks on social and labour rights and devaluation of labour.
Sahra Wagenecht on Gabriel, SPD, AfD, War on Terror
Sahra Wagenknecht: We have been successfully running the Bundestag campaign for more than a year now. The Left is now highr in all surveys than in 2013, despite the strength of the AfD. The climate in the faction has also improved. There is a relationship of trust between Dietmar Bartsch and myself, we work well together. This is the prerequisite for a successful election campaign.
1950-1990 Le scandale des armées secrètes de l’OTAN (Gladio)
Il s’agit en fait plus précisément des cellules stay-behind (littéralement : restés derrière), qui étaient des réseaux clandestins coordonnés par l’OTAN. Implantées dans seize pays d’Europe de l’Ouest, ces cellules visaient à combattre une éventuelle occupation par le bloc de l’Est, se tenant prêtes à être activées en cas d’invasion par les forces du Pacte de Varsovie. La plus
Τhe Battle over CETA is far from over
No more than two days were needed for the CETA text, only just signed in front of the cameras, to be rejected again. The German Greens announced their intention of blocking its ratification, in its present form, in the Bundesrat, something that is within their capacities given the way that its system functions. Is the participation of the Bundesrat indispensable for ratification of the treaty? German jurists are working on this question, and it is thorny.
Europe, vassal of USA (Is NATO preparing WWIII?)
At the end of Wednesday’s session, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that the United States, Britain, Germany and Canada had agreed to provide the leading elements of the battle groups to be deployed respectively in Poland and the three former Soviet Baltic republics: Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.
New record for German arms exports
Germany is one of the world's top four arms exporters, but Gabriel, who heads the Social Democratic Party (SPD), has vowed to make arms export policy more restrictive, especially with regard to the Middle East.
European Civilization
Onlookers reportedly encouraged a 17-year-old Somali asylum seeker who committed suicide to jump to his death from a fifth story apartment building in the eastern German town of Schmölln, according to the town's mayor.
Germany as crisis-exporter, Wallonia and EU
Late on Friday, Canada’s trade minister – the former FT journalist Chrystia Freeland – declared that the trade agreement with the EU (the so-called Ceta) had failed. She’d been commuting between Brussels and Namur, the seat of Wallonia’s regional parliament, for a few days, trying to get the region’s left-wing government to support the trade deal. But her efforts, and those by others, were in vain. Wallonia didn’t budge. All the EU leaders that were in Brussels to seal the deal ahead of Justin Trudeau’s visit on Thursday, had to return back home empty-handed.