The Local Germany

German word of the day: Das Sparschwein

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 10:51:20 +0100

Germans are known for being big savers and for loving to pay with cash, so it’s no surprise that many make good use of today’s word of the day.

US adds voice to chorus telling Germany to spend

Thu, 23 Oct 2014 10:20:00 +0200

US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, in a meeting on Wednesday with German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel, called on Germany to boost public spending to stimulate stuttering eurozone growth, the Treasury said.

US has lost its way, Schäuble thunders

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 15:01:00 +0100

Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble removed his diplomatic gloves on Friday, blasting the United States’ decision to go ahead with a massive economic stimulus measure that could harm Germany.

Merkel stands by disputed tax cut plans

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:13:00 +0100

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday defended her coalition’s controversial tax cut plans and said she would stand by her promise to overhaul Germany's tax system in the coming years, financial daily Handelsblatt reported.

German exports on the ropes as China overtakes

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:44:00 +0100

German exporters took a double hit of bad news Wednesday, with latest figures showing China had snatched Germany's title as the world's biggest exporter and industry warning the sector would not recover from the recession until 2014.

Union demands €100bn stimulus investment

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 15:02:00 +0100

The powerful IG Metall union called on the federal government on Sunday to put €100 billion into a future investment programme that would bolster technological innovation by German industry.

States mutiny against Merkel's tax cut bill

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:32:00 +0100

The January 2010 tax cuts planned by Chancellor Angela Merkel's new centre-right coalition faced failure on Friday amid growing resistance from Germany's states. Politicians are now discussing the possibility of pushing the changes back to 2011.

German trade surplus surges as output drops

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:09:00 +0200

Germany's trade surplus soared in July as its export engine revved up, official data showed on Tuesday, but a drop in industrial output signalled that economic recovery is fragile.

Among Europe's most damaged economies, Germany leads recovery

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:16:00 +0200

After Hungary, the financial crisis has damaged Germany more than any other European nation, but the country is also leading the way back to prosperity, a new study published by daily Die Welt found on Monday.

Germany rejects labelling stimulus package a damp squib

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:30:00 +0200

The German government on Monday rejected a report that its second stimulus package was failing to ignite Europe’s largest economy.

Politicians irked by more car scrapping premium fraud

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:05:00 +0200

Politicians are calling for tighter controls after further reports of criminal misuse of Germany’s "cash for clunkers" car scrapping premium emerged this week.

German stimulus plan ranked world's best

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:07:00 +0200

Germany has implemented the best economic stimulus package in the world, according to a new study released by Manager Magazin on Friday.

Autobahn plagued by chronic traffic jams

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:24:00 +0200

The German autobahn may have a global reputation for speed, but new numbers show the famous highways are anything but the fastest in the world.

Steinbrück warns of ‘mammoth’ debt

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:57:00 +0200

German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück warned on Wednesday that the next government after September’s general election would have to contend with a “mammoth” problem of mounting debt.

One-fifth of Easterners threatened by poverty

Mon, 18 May 2009 19:46:00 +0200

Nearly 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Germans from the country’s formerly communist eastern half remain at greater risk of falling into poverty.

Germany slashes 2009 growth forecast

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:05:00 +0200

Germany slashed its economic forecast on Wednesday, predicting one of the worst recessions in the developed world this year. But Economy Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg raised hopes of a recovery in 2010.

Restlessly civil in Germany

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:23:00 +0200

The economy is tanking, people are losing their jobs, but is Germany really on the brink of widespread civil unrest? The Local’s Marc Young explains why you won’t see riots in central Berlin or Munich this summer.

Germany facing worst slump since WWII

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:26:00 +0200

Germany's economy is poised to shrink by a record six percent this year – the worst recession since World War II – a group of top economic institutes said on Thursday.

Germany planning new economic summit

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:49:00 +0200

Hoping to better coordinate Germany’s response to the global economic crisis, the government will hold an economic summit at the Chancellery next week with business leaders and representatives from the country’s trade unions, Munich-based daily Süddeutsche Zeitung reported on Tuesday.

March car sales up by 40 percent after scrapping premium 'frenzy'

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:04:00 +0200

German auto sales shot up 40 percent in March compared with the same month in 2008 in what analysts on Thursday called a "shopping frenzy" that will lighten the recession in Europe's top economy.