Germany

The human rights situation in Turkey is unacceptable, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has told reporters, adding that European Union leaders had asked their executive arm to look at cutting pre-accession aid to Ankara in a "responsible way."

Merkel urged her fellow leaders on Thursday to cut European Union funds to Turkey that are linked to Ankara's bid to join the bloc.

The human rights situation in Turkey is unacceptable, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters on Thursday, adding European Union leaders had asked their executive arm to look at cutting pre-accession aid to Ankara in a “responsible way”.

Ongoing developments in Germany are cause for concern at home. Athens must make sure it does not end up hostage to the power games being played inside Germany's next coalition.

The leader of Germany's Free Democrats (FDP), Christian Lindner, seen as a likely successor at the finance ministry if his pro-business party enters a coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), has criticized outgoing Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble for not being tough enough on Greece.

Seven people died on Thursday in a storm that had hurricane winds in northern and eastern Germany, knocked down trees and cranes, and cut off rail transport, France press and DPA reported.

In Hamburg a tree fell over a car in which there were two women. One is dead and the other is admitted to a hospital.

In July I wrote that in the general election that took place on September 24, Chancellor Angela Merkel could be "re-elected with a mandate to say no to Macron." What I meant was that the German public looked set to give an endorsement to Merkel's approach to the eurozone and reject the alternative offered by Social Democrat candidate Martin Schulz, who was (slightly) more open to the new French

There's much to criticize about Wolfgang Schaeuble, Germany's outgoing finance minister: It can be said that he is obsessive and spiteful, and that his humor at the expense of Greece often bordered on sadism. That he - and Chancellor Angela Merkel - did very little to resolve the Greek crisis.

Sometimes, 8% becomes a huge factor. It is evident in the recent election in Germany that everything is 'relative' (or nothing is constant) in this world.

Given that Germany is the most powerful country in the eurozone and exercises complete control over the common currency bloc while also entertaining ambitions of a more international role, the magnitude of the defeat sustained by the established right-wing in Sunday's elections was much greater than the percentage collectively secured by the Christian Democrats and the Christian Social Party. <

Athens has good reason to be worried by the outcome of the German elections on Sunday.

Even before her poor performance at the polls, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's decisions and policies vis-a-vis Greece were often influenced by domestic and even regional political developments and concerns.