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Edited by Mrph1 on Jan 9th 2024 at 3:24:05 PM
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Merkel has done this a few times already. And not just her, politicians in general. The important decisions are always made (or made public) after the votes are counted and the coalition is formed.
Which is a not unimportant point. Whatever Merkel wants or doesn't want, neither her nor her party can decide it alone.
And in this case, I can honestly not say what Merkel will do. I could have told you that she would have never agreed to Eurobonds or any other kind of a debt take-over. But a reasonable program to help out other countries economically? I can see her agreeing to this. After all we are pumping money in a lot of states all over the world already.
edited 21st May '17 12:02:49 PM by Swanpride
Re: Spain, I think the judge is right. Parents shouldn't have to endlessly blank-check their kids - and I say this as someone who completely failed to launch properly. Nothing wrong with everyone staying under one roof for generations, and nothing wrong with rich parents deciding that their kids shouldn't have to work (perks of being born rich) but it shouldn't be mandatory.
Well, Germany also has a law which states that parents (who have the means) are supposed to help out their children during their education. But that rule has limits. Like, you don't have to do it if the child has been acting grossly ungrateful (hard to proof) or if it keeps changing the kind of education. And certainly not past the time during which the state itself pays the Kindergeld (in fact, we have more a problem with parents keeping the Kindergeld for themselves even if the child in question doesn't live with them anymore...theoretically the child could sue, but only a few do so).
In itself the idea is not bad...after all, if the children have higher education they can do more for their parents later on because they earn more money. Finding the balance is important.
We have a stipend for students who leave home to pursue higher education to explicitly encourage moving out. It's enough to pay rent if you live with others in one of the smaller university towns and if you stretch it a little, enough to stay fed.
Still not embarrassing enough to stan billionaires or tech companies.
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
Europa in the Middle—The 2017 Hit Drama:
European angst over Trump visit & Trump in Brussels for 'tough' Nato talks amid protests
The words of a trusted European source when I asked about EU expectations for Donald Trump's first trip to Brussels as US president.
Not a far-reaching ambition, I think you'd agree.
The tone in Brussels has gone from off-the-record sneering when the erratic and unpredictable Mr Trump first won the November elections, to outright concern now that the implications of his presidency have begun to sink in.
Mr Trump is ...due to meet European Union officials on Thursday...
After landing in Brussels, Mr Trump met the Belgian king and queen as thousands demonstrated against his presence in Brussels city centre.
That rhetoric has improved after a rocky presidential start - the US president has now described Belgium as a "beautiful city" which may not be geographically accurate, but at least it was complimentary in sentiment. He also changed his initial dismissal of Nato as an "obsolete" organisation to being "no longer obsolete".
Ahead of Thursday's meetings, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters that Mr Trump "really wants to persuade Nato members to step up and fully meet their obligations".
He added: "I think you can expect the president to be very tough on them and say... 'We are doing a lot. The American people are doing a lot for your security, for joint security. You need to make sure you're doing your share for your own security as well.'
"That's going to be the core of his message to Nato."
The leaders of EU institutions have one hour with him this Thursday to try to charm, cajole, and persuade - but during his short time in office so far, President Trump has shown he can do a 180-degree turn in an instant, should the whim take him.
That means whatever concessions or understandings the EU wins from President Trump now could be null and void within a week.
In these insecure times of cyber and street terror (this week's Manchester concert bombing was a chilling reminder), with a newly assertive Russia and a power-hungry China snapping at the West's heels... President Trump means that the post-World War Two EU-US balance is now precarious, says August Hanning, former head of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service.
When I chatted to him about Donald Trump the word "Unberechenbarkeit" (unpredictability) popped up every third sentence or so.
[T]o ensure that he gets the point, the organisation has prepared the unveiling of two artefacts to coincide with his visit: a chunk of the Berlin Wall, symbolising Europe's role in ending the Cold War, and some twisted metal from the World Trade Centre - the only attack in Nato history which prompted the organisation to invoke its Article Five - whereby an attack on one member country is interpreted as an attack on all.
Neither the EU nor the Nato meetings with President Trump are tabled as "formal summits", and as such organisers have been able to insist on having no press conference afterwards.
The lingering suspicion amongst ever-cynical hacks, however, is that this is yet another clear sign of the "Who knows how on Earth this will all go?" feeling that has taken hold of Brussels this week.
Donald Trump's timetable in Brussels is a minor diplomatic masterpiece of its kind, maximising as it does the number of meetings and minimising the amount of public speaking and press scrutiny which will follow them.
In the morning he'll meet leaders of the EU, among them European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who once complained that two years would be wasted educating the new president about a world he does not know.
edited 24th May '17 5:31:36 PM by CenturyEye
Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives
They should simply project his face on what is left of the Berlin Wall. That should do the trick.
Former Greek PM Papademos has been injured by a blast from within his car.
Malfunction or attempted assassination? Initial reports say it might have been a letter bomb.
edited 25th May '17 10:03:27 AM by Rationalinsanity
Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Some people have been sending letter bombs to politicians several for quite some time now. Even Schäuble and Merkel got targeted.
Italy's Renzi suggests next election be synchronized with Germany's:
Germany will vote on Sept. 24. Elections are due in Italy by May 2018, but speculation is mounting that Italians could head to the polls in the autumn.
President Sergio Mattarella, the only figure with the power to dissolve parliament, has said elections should only be held after parliament has passed a new electoral law to harmonize voting systems for the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
Renzi, leader of the ruling center-left Democratic Party (PD), said in an interview with the newspaper Il Messaggero that his party "would not ask for early elections, but is not afraid of them either".
After regaining the leadership of his PD party in late April, Renzi has favored early elections. He told Il Messaggero that it may be possible to reach an accord on a voting system modeled alongside Germany's proportional model, as suggested by former center-right prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.
"In theory yes, but we must be cautious," Renzi said. "The German system would be a step forward in overcoming the current stalemate, but it's not a solution to all problems. Having a coalition in power is very risky."
"German elections are always a watershed in European politics, for better or worse. Voting at the same time as Berlin would make sense ... from a European perspective and would allow the new parliament to start working on the economic policy of the next five years without losing a single day," Renzi said.
edited 28th May '17 7:48:30 AM by Quag15
Makes sense, though I imagine that there will be a lot of pushback due to the "Germany/EU bad" attitude that's so in vogue lately. But yes, I suppose it really does make sense from a European perspective.
Does Italy have a four year period for its leader?
I actually don't think that it would be a good idea if all EU countries would have their vote at the same time, because this could result in a number of countries being in a period of transition at the same time. But if the voting circle in Italy specifically is similar to the one in Germany, then it does make sense to adjust it just for those two countries.
It would also be a good idea to copy the system Germany has with the multiple parties and coalitions, because this system works particularly well not just in Germany, but also in a number of other Middle and North-European countries, all of which thrives under it. Since the one in Italy doesn't work and puts the country into a permanent stalemate politically, it is time for a change. Though they really should sell this as the "North European" system and not the German system.
edited 28th May '17 8:53:52 AM by Swanpride
Considering how fast the Italians burn through their leaders (with the unfortunate exception of Berlusconi), merely aligning the election with other European countries would do little good. What they ought to do is implementing some constitutional changes that would make their governments more stable, but considering how their last attempt of doing so went, that might be very difficult... .
Yeah, "German" really doesn't sell well these days, but we in the Netherlands have a similar system and I'm quite happy with it. There are some downsides, like long transitional periods and a tendency to fall apart when the going gets tough, but it really helps with getting multiple voices heard in the government. Don't really hear much about corruption scandals and such either, which I suspect has something to do with all ruling parties keeping an eye on each other.
(Avatar by Coffee)
They need to get some non-idiot politicians first. Listening to my Italian friend it's basically "the Fascists are the least bad guys here because they're at least a quarter way to competency".
edited 28th May '17 2:58:27 PM by desdendelle
The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground
Apparantly this remark by Merkel (in front of a domestic audience) has made some waves in the English press:
"The times in which we could rely fully on others, they are somewhat over.” “This is what I experienced in the last few days,” she said.
Merkel, After Discordant G-7 Meeting, Is Looking Past Trump
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/28/world/europe/angela-merkel-trump-alliances-g7-leaders.html?_r=0
About her intented audience:
http://www.economist.com/blogs/kaffeeklatsch/2017/05/what-s-brewing-germany
We might really see the end of an age here.
The end of an age and maybe the beginning of a new one. If an army formed by the armed forces of all EU countries ultimately becomes strong enough in all/most areas that American forces are no longer needed, so be it.
I know this is the same story, but I had to share because, well.
That picture.
Still not embarrassing enough to stan billionaires or tech companies.
And the No F***s Merkel meme is born.
What? Have you never seen a women drink some beer?
I am a little bit amused that one article claims that Hungary and Poland would side with Trump. Nope, they won't. Those are both countries which have existed under the control of Russia for ages, so in this case a common enemy will most likely overcome the resistance of Hungary and Poland towards a closer union (plus, they don't actually mind the close union, they just resist the liberal leaning of the EU, and how it prevents their respective leaders to seize even more power than they already have).
Btw: I expect the EU to have a working defence network entirely independent from the NATO within the next three years. I know, that sounds a little bit ambitious, but if you paid attention than you realized that Merkel prepared for this moment the moment Trump got elected. She has already laid some groundwork. In a way, Brexit is now a stroke of luck, because the UK has always been the reason why the EU didn't do something along this lines years ago. With it out of the way and France having a president keen on an alliance, I can actually see something happening which I though impossible just one year ago. Btw: Good job by Macron presenting himself as someone who would push back against Trump. I think that will bring him some extra votes.
A procrastination in of itself
Poland is very anti-Russia but I'm not sure about Hungary, my understanding is that the government there is building connections with Russia.
“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Is that directed to me or math729d?
If it's to me, give me a sec to answer while I double-check whether or not I still have boobs.
If my post doesn't mention a giant flying sperm whale with oversized teeth and lionfish fins for flippers, it just isn't worth reading.
The law in the night
I don't know if you still have your boobs or not but Merkel sure does have her booze.
I know, I know, I am leaving for a while because of that one.
Inter arma enim silent leges
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
@ The exchange above: ![[lol]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lol2v12_4863.png "[lol]"){kind=small}
@ The Wa Po article: Huh, making (or watching) big pivots in history feels surprisingly mundane.note Though, I suppose I won't open the drapes to see the Visigoths outside the gates of Atlanta one day. ![[down]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_down.png "[down]"){kind=icon}
Well, that was (mostly) the consensus on that feed.
edited 29th May '17 2:46:27 AM by CenturyEye
Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives
I was mostly just reveling in the NBC staff's ability to find the best images.
I imagine she probably needed that beer after having to deal with the Botox Golem for more than thirty seconds.
Still not embarrassing enough to stan billionaires or tech companies.
Most people who follow politics and economics already know what Merkel is for.
She will talk less at first, true. But only because she wants to study the newcomer face to face and what he has to say or propose...
edited 21st May '17 7:10:03 AM by Quag15