https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Rights groups said Thursday that Germany's EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger was unfit to run the human resources portfolio because of his divisive record of "racist, sexist and homophobic" remarks. https://www.thelocal.de/20170105/activists-slam-german-eu-mans-new-job-after-racist-remarks Thu, 05 Jan 2017 18:52:29 +0100 activists-slam-german-eu-mans-new-job-after-racist-remarks EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger on Thursday apologised for derogatory remarks about Chinese people, whom he dubbed "slitty eyes" in a speech last month. https://www.thelocal.de/20161103/german-eu-leader-apologizes-for-derogatory-china-remarks Thu, 03 Nov 2016 15:19:56 +0100 german-eu-leader-apologizes-for-derogatory-china-remarks Günter Oettinger is Germany's top bureaucrat in Brussels. But his apparent habit of speaking without thinking has turned him into a national embarrassment for many Germans. https://www.thelocal.de/20161102/why-this-gaffe-prone-german-is-making-europe-cringe Wed, 02 Nov 2016 18:00:19 +0100 why-this-gaffe-prone-german-is-making-europe-cringe China expressed disdain Wednesday over European Commissioner Günther Oettinger's use of the term "slitty eyes" to describe Chinese people in a leaked recording of a speech to business leaders. https://www.thelocal.de/20161102/china-slams-german-eu-leaders-slitty-eyes-comment Wed, 02 Nov 2016 11:29:10 +0100 china-slams-german-eu-leaders-slitty-eyes-comment Germany's European Commissioner Günther Oettinger on Sunday defended his use of the term "slitty eyes" for Chinese people which triggered outrage after they were revealed in a leaked recording of a speech to business leaders. https://www.thelocal.de/20161031/eu-commissioner-defends-chinese-slitty-eyes-comment Mon, 31 Oct 2016 09:59:46 +0100 eu-commissioner-defends-chinese-slitty-eyes-comment Germany's EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger raised doubts on Tuesday about whether Britain would leave the bloc, saying he wouldn't bet on "Brexit". https://www.thelocal.de/20160830/germanys-eu-commissioner-doubts-brexit-will-happen-eu-referendum Tue, 30 Aug 2016 13:41:44 +0200 germanys-eu-commissioner-doubts-brexit-will-happen-eu-referendum Germany's EU Commissioner Günther Öttinger said in a newspaper interview Monday that Spain and Portugal should be fined by Brussels for missing their 2015 deficit targets https://www.thelocal.de/20160705/oettinger-eu-wants-to-fine-spain-portugal Tue, 05 Jul 2016 10:01:31 +0200 oettinger-eu-wants-to-fine-spain-portugal Germany’s EU commissioner caused a storm on Tuesday by talking about putting a gun to his head and pulling the trigger. We look at the most controversial political statements of the past 12 months. https://www.thelocal.de/20160216/id-blown-my-brains-out-german-politics-wackiest-statements Tue, 16 Feb 2016 19:25:05 +0100 id-blown-my-brains-out-german-politics-wackiest-statements Germany's asylum law is responsible for luring so many refugees to Europe and needs changing, said the country’s EU commissioner Günther Oettinger on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.de/20151125/german-asylum-law-is-magnet-for-refugees Wed, 25 Nov 2015 09:42:16 +0100 german-asylum-law-is-magnet-for-refugees European Digital Economy Commissioner Günther Oettinger said on Monday that he wants to abolish roaming fees for mobile phone users within the EU by 2017. https://www.thelocal.de/20150623/eu-commissioner-to-ban-roaming-fees-by-2017 Tue, 23 Jun 2015 11:01:34 +0200 eu-commissioner-to-ban-roaming-fees-by-2017 The European Commission's new Digital Economy and Society commissioner has boasted about his online prowess, saying he now uses the internet every day and has even mastered the calendar on his iPhone. https://www.thelocal.de/20141015/eus-new-digital-commissioner-online-every-day-oettinger Wed, 15 Oct 2014 19:14:00 +0200 eus-new-digital-commissioner-online-every-day-oettinger German newspapers on Tuesday ridiculed incoming EU Digital Commissioner Günther Oettinger after he blamed "stupid" celebrities for having their private nude pictures hacked and spread online. https://www.thelocal.de/20140930/oettinger-blames-celebs-for-nude-photo-hack Tue, 30 Sep 2014 19:06:00 +0200 oettinger-blames-celebs-for-nude-photo-hack His poor command of English made him the butt of jokes on national television and YouTube, but Germany's EU commissioner Günther Oettinger now finds himself in charge of the continent's digital future. https://www.thelocal.de/20140911/gunther-oettinger-foot-in-mouth-to-brussels-native Thu, 11 Sep 2014 19:02:00 +0200 gunther-oettinger-foot-in-mouth-to-brussels-native EU energy commissioner Günther Oettinger has urged Germany to make use of shale gas options and added that the he saw no danger of Europe's access to Russian gas falling victim to possible economic sanctions in the standoff over Ukraine. https://www.thelocal.de/20140420/germany-should-make-use-of-shale-gas-eu Sun, 20 Apr 2014 12:34:00 +0200 germany-should-make-use-of-shale-gas-eu Germany's biggest beer company - Bavarian brewery Oettinger – has begun producing beer free from genetically modified ingredients, it was reported on Monday. https://www.thelocal.de/20130311/48463 Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:47:00 +0100 48463 Germany's EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger has added his voice to those calling on Germany to give up its firm rejection of eurobonds as a means to ending the eurozone’s debt crisis. https://www.thelocal.de/20111203/39279 Sat, 03 Dec 2011 10:59:00 +0100 39279 Günther Oettinger, Germany’s designated EU commissioner, is facing growing ridicule for his atrocious English thanks to a popular video on the internet. https://www.thelocal.de/20100127/24845 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:49:00 +0100 24845 Günther Oettinger, Germany's designated EU commissioner, on Thursday defended himself against suspicions of anti-Semitism, stressing that he had "very strong relations" with the Jewish community. https://www.thelocal.de/20100114/24573 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:22:00 +0100 24573