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European Union Tag

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on June 17, 2018 16 Comments
Just three months into her fourth term, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel faces the biggest crisis of her career. Her Catholic conservative Bavarian ally, the CSU, has threatened to abandon the coalition government over immigration policy. Germany's Interior Minister and long-time CSU leader, Horst Seehofer, wants to push for tougher immigration laws, which will include refusing entry to illegal immigrants at the border. According to German newspaper reports, if the country's Interior Minister goes ahead with the new restrictions without Merkel's consent, she will be forced to fire him, putting an end to her freshly-baked coalition government. Her political future hangs in the balance, as CSU leaders meet on Monday to decide the future course of action.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on June 15, 2018 41 Comments
The recently concluded summit in Singapore between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un provoked sharp responses from the mainstream media in Germany and France. The official European Union's response to the historic meeting was muted, with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, an avid Twitter user, refraining to comment on the meeting. The sharpest reaction came from Germany, where the country's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas took the opportunity to undermine the US President.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on June 12, 2018 25 Comments
Italy’s new government has declared victory in a standoff over a German-owned rescue boat that brought hundreds of migrants to its shores. Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini refused MS Aquarius, which carried 629 migrants on board, to dock over the weekend. Spain’s newly elected Socialist government accepted the boat, which ended the impasse. "Saving lives at sea is a duty, but transforming Italy into an enormous refugee camp is not," Minister Salvini wrote on Facebook. "Italy is done bowing its head and obeying. This time there's someone saying no."

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on June 07, 2018 33 Comments
The European Union has called on the U.S. not to punish European firms that trade with Iran, German daily Die Welt reported Thursday. In a letter to the U.S. officials, the EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini "appealed to the U.S. not to undertake any action" against European companies likely hit by U.S. sanctions following President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal last month. The letter addressed to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was also signed by foreign and finance ministers from Germany, France, and Britain, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle disclosed. According to media reports, President Trump is considering imposing secondary sanctions against foreign companies which continue doing business with Iran.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on June 04, 2018 15 Comments
Islamist groups have adopted new strategies to gain influence in Germany, a report by the intelligence agency of the German state of Baden-Württemberg disclosed. Instead of taking on the powerful government establishment or law enforcement head on, they have adopted a 'legalistic strategy' to achieve their political objectives.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on June 03, 2018 108 Comments
President Donald Trump's move to impose tariff on steel and aluminum imports from Europe has triggered sharp response from the EU, Germany and France. President Trump's decision to apply the duties of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum was in response to long-standing European customs duties on U.S. imports.

Posted by Mary Chastain on May 31, 2018 253 Comments
President Donald Trump's administration failed to reach a deal with Canada, Mexico, and the European Union, which led the president to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Trump gave these three an extension when he brought up tariffs last month, but Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the administration will not renew the tariffs. Imported steel will receive a 25% tariff while aluminum will have a 10% tariff.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on May 31, 2018 9 Comments
Israel called on the European Union (EU) to stop funding organizations supporting terrorism against Israeli civilians and the boycott campaign against the state of Israel. A study published by Israel's Ministry of Strategic Affairs singled out more than a dozen European and Palestinian non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, that have received millions of euros from the EU despite their links to internationally designated terrorist groups and the anti-Israel boycott movement. A copy of the study was handed to the EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, British newspaper Daily Mail confirmed.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on May 19, 2018 41 Comments
The European Union is considering laws to protect European companies trading with Iran in the wake of new U.S. sanctions. The EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced plans to enact a set of laws that "seek to prevent European companies from complying with any sanctions the US may reintroduce against Iran," Germany's state-run broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported on Friday.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on May 18, 2018 18 Comments
The European Union's deal with Turkey is failing to stop migrants from crossing into Europe, German media reports suggest. "The number of refugees coming into Europe through Turkey has risen sharply," writes the German weekly Der Spiegel citing EU officials. In the early months of 2018 over 15,000 migrant crossed over from Turkey into Greece--a "nine-fold increase compared to last year's figures," Austrian newspaper Heute reported.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on May 09, 2018 20 Comments
Following President Donald Trump's decision to no longer abide by the Iran nuclear deal, the U.S. ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, has urged the German businesses to stop trading with the Islamic Republic of Iran. "US sanctions will target critical sectors of Iran’s economy. German companies doing business in Iran should wind down operations immediately," Grenell tweeted on Tuesday.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on April 24, 2018 25 Comments
Ahead of Chancellor Angela Merkel's one-day visit to Washington scheduled for Friday, German media have complained about the lack of ceremonial pomp accorded to the visiting leader. German media outlets were incensed by the fact that French President Emmanuel Macron, who is also touring the US this week, was receiving an preferential treatment from the White House. Germany, given its economic strength, considers itself a bigger player in Europe than France.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on March 08, 2018 72 Comments
Rattled by President Trump's proposal to raise tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, the European Union is threatening the U.S. with a full-blown trade war. "We will now impose tariffs on motorcycles, Harley Davidson, on blue jeans, Levis, on bourbon," Jean-Claude Junker, President of the European Commission, warned earlier this week. "Should Trump follow his words with actions, Europe will reply proportionately," German Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries said in response to the proposed move.

Posted by Mary Chastain on March 05, 2018 6 Comments
Anti-European Union parties made a huge leap in Italy's general election, but no party has (so far) come away with a majority. This means Italy faces a hung Parliament and can take a long time to form a government. The situation mirrors the UK when Prime Minister Theresa May held snap elections last year and no party came out with a majority.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on February 08, 2018 16 Comments
Chancellor Angela Merkel has finally reached a coalition deal with the Social Democrats (SPD) four months after her conservative bloc failed to win a majority in German elections. The deal forced Merkel to hand over key ministries and make painful concessions to her left-wing coalition partner. The details of the final agreement triggered criticism from both the media and the conservative bloc -- made up of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU).

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on January 24, 2018 8 Comments
With the oil-rich Arab states too distracted with their feuds and infighting to champion the 'Palestinian cause', and the Trump administration turning up the heat with its Jerusalem move and cuts to Palestinians aid, the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has launched a diplomatic offensive to secure the EU backing.
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