Latest Olaf Scholz News
German opposition Christian Democrats tap leader Friedrich Merz as their candidate for chancellor
BERLIN (AP) — Germany's opposition center-right Christian Democratic Union announced Tuesday that it has chosen its leader, Friedrich Merz, to be its candidate for chancellor in next year's national election. The decision sets the stage for a possible challenge of Chancellor Olaf...
Germany signs agreement with Kenya to bring in skilled workers and plug labor market gaps
BERLIN (AP) — German and Kenyan officials signed an agreement Friday in Berlin to promote the recruitment of skilled workers who can fill gaps in Germany's labor market, and to facilitate the repatriation of Kenyans who don't have the right to stay in Germany. The agreement was...
Wolfgang Gerhardt, who led Germany's pro-business Free Democrats, dies at 80
BERLIN (AP) — Wolfgang Gerhardt, a politician who led Germany's pro-business Free Democrats from 1995 to 2001, died on Friday at the age of 80. Gerhardt's death was announced by Christian Lindner, the current head of the Free Democrats, a small party that has been a coalition...
German Chancellor Scholz calls for faster progress toward ending Russia's war on Ukraine
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Sunday he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agree that Russia should be included in a future peace conference aimed at ending Russia's war against Ukraine. He called for stepped up efforts to solve the conflict. ...
Far-right success in German votes piles new pressure on Scholz's government
BERLIN (AP) — The Alternative for Germany party's success in two state elections piled new pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz's fractious government and left the country's conservative opposition facing political contortions on Monday to find a way to govern a pair of eastern regions without...
A German far-right party wins its first state election and is very close in a second
BERLIN (AP) — A far-right party won a state election for the first time in post-World War II Germany in the country’s east on Sunday, and looked set to finish a very close second to mainstream conservatives in a second vote. A new party founded by a prominent leftist also made a...
Germany's leaders pay tribute to victims of the Solingen knife attack
BERLIN (AP) — German leaders paid tribute Sunday to the three people killed in the Aug. 23 knife attack by a suspected Islamic extremist, which has pushed immigration back to the top of the country's political agenda. Eight people also were wounded in the attack at a “Festival of...
Germany deports 28 Afghan nationals to their homeland, the first since the Taliban takeover in 2021
BERLIN (AP) — Germany deported Afghan nationals to their homeland on Friday for the first time since August 2021 when the Taliban returned to power. Government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit described the 28 Afghan nationals as convicted criminals but did not clarify their...
Prominent German leftist politician sprayed with a red liquid, likely paint, during campaign event
BERLIN (AP) — A prominent German leftist politician was sprayed with a red liquid, likely paint, during a campaign event Thursday in the eastern city of Erfurt, ahead of closely watched state elections on Sunday. Sara Wagenknecht, founder of the new Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, was...
Far-right party aims for wins in 2 state elections as Germany's government flounders
BERLIN (AP) — The far-right Alternative for Germany could become the strongest party for the first time in two state elections Sunday in eastern Germany, while a months-old party founded by a prominent leftist also hopes to shake up the picture as the national government has squabbled its way to...
