BERLIN (REUTERS) - Germany wants a Brexit deal to keep Britain as close to the European Union as possible, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday (Sept 24). Speaking to students in Hanover, Germany, Merkel said there was scope for Britain to pay to continue to participate in individual EU programmes, such as the Erasmus student exchange scheme, but crucial questions like the Ireland-Northern Ireland border remained complicated. "We want as few disadvantages (from Brexit) as possible,"she said. "We would be happy, and it would be possible, if Britain said it wanted to pay into Erasmus, and also we want ways of making goods transport as uncomplicated as possible." But that did not mean checks on goods could be dispensed with, she said, in an apparent restatement of the EU's position that the Irish border can only be open if Northern Ireland remains within the EU's regulatory orbit. British Prime Minister Theresa May has said she could not agree to any deal with the EU which treated … [Read more...] about We hope to keep Britain close after Brexit: Angela Merkel
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Angela Merkel wants to defuse coalition crisis over spymaster this weekend
BERLIN (REUTERS) - Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday (Sept 21) the leaders of her coalition parties would try to find a solution this weekend to a row over Germany's scandal-tainted spymaster, seeking to defuse a problem that has plunged the government into crisis. Spy chief Hans-Georg Maassen had faced accusations of harbouring far-right views after he questioned the authenticity of video footage showing radicals hounding migrants in the eastern city of Chemnitz. A deal was struck on Tuesday to move him into a better paid job at the interior ministry. But that unpopular compromise came unstuck earlier on Friday when the leader of Merkel's junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats, said it was a mistake. Merkel said she had agreed with Social Democrat leader Andrea Nahles (SPD), and with Horst Seehofer - leader of the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) - to review the deal, which pushed their six-month-old coalition close to collapse. "We have agreed to reappraise the … [Read more...] about Angela Merkel wants to defuse coalition crisis over spymaster this weekend
Donald Trump changes tone in meeting with Angela Merkel after earlier slamming Germany
BRUSSELS (REUTERS) - US President Donald Trump said he had a "great meeting" with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of a Nato summit on Wednesday (July 11), hours after he fiercely criticised German policy on defence spending and gas imports from Russia. The tone of their remarks contrasted with an earlier breakfast between Trump and Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg, when the Republican president said Germany's reliance on Russian energy left it "in the control" of Moscow and Merkel later referred to her youth in Soviet-run East Germany to insist Berlin was now fully sovereign. "We're having a great meeting. We're discussing military expenditure... talking about trade," Trump told reporters who were allowed in to the meeting room. "We have a very, very good relationship with the Chancellor. We have a tremendous relationship with Germany," he added, saying he had raised his concerns about a new gas pipeline planned from Russia to Germany. Trump played up the success of … [Read more...] about Donald Trump changes tone in meeting with Angela Merkel after earlier slamming Germany
Trump reportedly thew Starburst on a table before Germany’s Angela Merkel at the G7 summit and said, ‘Don’t say I never give you anything’
caption German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Donald Trump source Yves Herman/Reuters President Donald Trump reportedly threw Starburst candies onto a table at the G7 summit for German chancellor Angela Merkel, saying “Here, Angela. Don’t say I never give you anything.” Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer told CBS News that the incident occurred at the end of the summit after world leaders pressured Trump to sign the joint communiqué. The summit was marked by tensions between Trump and American allies over trade. Almost two weeks after the historically tense G7 summit in Canada, more details are emerging about the tensions between world leaders. The summit took place with the backdrop of an escalating trade battle between the US, Europe, and Canada. Just hours before the summit, President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and French President Emmanuel … [Read more...] about Trump reportedly thew Starburst on a table before Germany’s Angela Merkel at the G7 summit and said, ‘Don’t say I never give you anything’
Angela Merkel says she is ‘curious’ about the UK’s Brexit negotiating position
LONDON – Angela Merkel has insisted she is not “frustrated” by Britain’s lack of clarity in Brexit talks but said she was “curious” to learn what the UK government wanted to achieve in negotiations. The German chancellor was asked at a press conference in Germany whether she was frustrated by the UK government’s failure to spell out clearly what it wants its future relationship with the European to look like. “I’m not frustrated at all, I’m just curious how Britain envisages this future partnership,” Merkel said on Friday afternoon.Prime Minister Theresa May told journalists that the UK government would set out further details on its Brexit negotiating position in the “coming weeks” but said talks a “two-way street.”May and Merkel held a joint press conference in Germany ahead of the Munich Security Conference which takes place this weekend. Prime Minister May is set to make a … [Read more...] about Angela Merkel says she is ‘curious’ about the UK’s Brexit negotiating position