Angela merkel

BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel's preferred successor, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, said Sunday (May 12) that she would not seek the top job before Merkel's term ends in 2021.The woman usually dubbed "AKK" took over from Merkel as head of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) last December, while the chancellor said she wants to serve out her 2017 to 2021 term."The chancellor and the government were elected for an entire legislative term and the citizens rightly expect them to take seriously the commitment that came with the election," said Kramp-Karrenbauer."So I can rule out the possibility that I will work deliberately to seek a change earlier," she told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.Rather, the CDU should work on a new policy platform and nominate its chancellor-candidate in the late autumn of 2020, she said.German media have been speculating for months over whether Germany's veteran leader Merkel may leave earlier as head of her left-right coalition … [Read more...] about Merkel’s preferred successor says won’t seek post before 2021

OUAGADOUGOU: German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday promised aid to strengthen security in jihadist-hit Burkina Faso after arriving in the West African country. Merkel, who also attended a G5 meeting of Sahel country leaders, is due travel on to Mali and Niger. “We talked about the deteriorating security situation and we want to be on the side of Burkina Faso, especially in terms of cooperation on security,“ Merkel told reporters after a meeting with Burkina Faso President Roch Marc Christian Kabore. “This is necessary because in the east and north of the country there is a situation where children cannot go to school, where populations seem to live in insecurity,“ she said. “We need to end these problems as quickly as possible,“ she added. President Kabore said the aid would help Burkina Faso to tackle the closure of schools due to jihadist attacks which have seen teachers forced to flee. “Germany has announced €46 million (RM213 … [Read more...] about Germany’s Merkel promises aid to fight jihadists in Burkina Faso

BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel denied speculation on Tuesday (Apr 30) that she would resign before the end of her term in 2021, quashing media reports suggesting she would announce her intentions at a conservative party meeting in June.Merkel, widely seen as an anchor of stability in Europe for the last 14 years, handed over the leadership of her Christian Democrats (CDU) in December in response to growing criticism of her handling of the migrant crisis and its consequences.Although she wants to remain chancellor until the 2021 national election, speculation is rife that she may go sooner. So far Merkel, 64, has choreographed a gradual exit with her protege, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, elected CDU chief.Asked at a news conference whether she planned to make any announcement about her future at a Jun 2-3 party meeting, Merkel said she would "answer that with a clear no".The latest media speculation was triggered by the sudden announcement of the CDU meeting, due to take … [Read more...] about Germany’s Merkel rejects speculation about early exit

BERLIN: European leaders will try to bring bitter foes Serbia and Kosovo back to the negotiating table at a regional summit in Berlin on Monday (Apr 29), hoping to reboot a dialogue over one of the Balkans' thorniest disputes.German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron are hosting the neighbours, whose relationship has taken a turn for the worse in recent months, alongside other Western Balkans leaders and those of EU members Croatia and Slovenia.The Berlin gathering will centre on the "stability of the region, with a particular focus on finding a way to relaunch the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo," the French presidency said in a briefing ahead of the summit.The Macron-Merkel initiative comes after EU-led talks between Serbia and Kosovo ground to a halt last year.The nub of the dispute is Belgrade's denial of the independence of Kosovo, a former province of deep historical and cultural significance to Serbians that broke away in a bloody 1998-1999 war.The … [Read more...] about Macron, Merkel try to resurrect Serbia-Kosovo talks at Balkan summit

BERLIN: European leaders will try to bring bitter foes Serbia and Kosovo back to the negotiating table at a regional summit in Berlin today, hoping to reboot a dialogue over one of the Balkans’ thorniest disputes. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron are hosting the neighbours, whose relationship has taken a turn for the worse in recent months, alongside other Western Balkans leaders and EU members Croatia and Slovenia. The gathering will centre on the “stability of the region, with a particular focus on finding a way to relaunch the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo,” the French presidency said in a briefing ahead of the summit. The Macron-Merkel initiative comes after EU-led talks between Serbia and Kosovo ground to a halt last year. The nub of the dispute is Belgrade’s denial of the independence of Kosovo, a former province that broke away in a bloody 1998-99 war. The Brussels-led dialogue collapsed several months after talk … [Read more...] about Macron and Merkel try to resurrect Serbia-Kosovo talks at Balkan summit