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 Germany should appoint an anti-Semitism commissioner to counter growing hate speech against Jews and Israel from both its home-grown far right and the immigrant community, the interior minister said on Sunday. https://www.thelocal.de/20171217/germany-vows-to-fight-local-and-imported-anti-semitism Sun, 17 Dec 2017 17:49:03 +0100 germany-vows-to-fight-local-and-imported-anti-semitism Conservatives in Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition were in an uproar on Saturday after one of her key allies floated the idea of a Muslim holiday in Germany. https://www.thelocal.de/20171015/german-minister-sparks-uproar-with-muslim-holiday-idea Sun, 15 Oct 2017 12:00:21 +0200 german-minister-sparks-uproar-with-muslim-holiday-idea German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere warned Saturday that Berlin's generous offer of benefits for asylum seekers was a siren call for migrants. https://www.thelocal.de/20170910/german-aid-to-migrants-creating-pull-effect-minister Sun, 10 Sep 2017 04:55:36 +0200 german-aid-to-migrants-creating-pull-effect-minister Interior minister Thomas de Maizière announced on Tuesday his intention to centralize Germany's security apparatus, pulling a wide range of powers in to Berlin. https://www.thelocal.de/20170103/interior-minister-plans-overhaul-of-germanys-security-apparatus Tue, 03 Jan 2017 10:56:54 +0100 interior-minister-plans-overhaul-of-germanys-security-apparatus German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere is seeking to toughen asylum laws by sending migrants back to the first European Union country they reached and by reducing benefits, under a draft law seen by AFP on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.de/20150918/interior-minister-aims-to-toughen-asylum-law Fri, 18 Sep 2015 11:08:06 +0200 interior-minister-aims-to-toughen-asylum-law German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière wants to scrutinize how much asylum-seekers receive in benefits in Germany as the country continues to face a staggering influx of immigrants. https://www.thelocal.de/20150814/de-maiziere-refugee-benefits-must-be-reviewed Fri, 14 Aug 2015 14:51:19 +0200 de-maiziere-refugee-benefits-must-be-reviewed Outgoing Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière said he considered resigning over a botched drone deal last year but the soldiers persuaded him not to. He also hit out at Germany's allies in a leaving ceremony on Wednesday night. https://www.thelocal.de/20140109/ex-defence-chief-de-maziere-almost-quit-over-drones Thu, 09 Jan 2014 17:24:00 +0100 ex-defence-chief-de-maziere-almost-quit-over-drones Bundeswehr Chief-of-Staff Volker Wieker has admitted he made mistakes over the German army's Euro Hawk drone programme, and that Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière might let him go. https://www.thelocal.de/20130609/50187 Sun, 09 Jun 2013 13:47:00 +0200 50187 German Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière on Monday cautioned against game-changing "red lines" in Syria's civil war, amid growing evidence that regime forces have used chemical weapons. https://www.thelocal.de/20130430/49439 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:39:00 +0200 49439 German Defence Minister Thomas de Maiziere is due in Mali on Monday where he is to meet German soldiers deployed to support French and African troops fighting Islamist rebels. https://www.thelocal.de/20130318/48599 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:18:00 +0100 48599 Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière said on Saturday he regretted the tone of his comments about German soldiers needing constant approval, which prompted a spat with the head of the Bundeswehr Association. https://www.thelocal.de/20130302/48285 Sat, 02 Mar 2013 13:27:00 +0100 48285 Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière has offended German soldiers by suggesting they were addicted to praise and in constant need of approval. Instead, he said they should concentrate on their work. https://www.thelocal.de/20130225/48171 Mon, 25 Feb 2013 08:32:00 +0100 48171 The German military is to have a US-style Veterans’ Day, despite criticism from opposition parties and general unease about the army’s history. https://www.thelocal.de/20120404/41747 Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:34:00 +0200 41747 The German government announced the biggest cuts in its military since the end of World War Two on Wednesday, closing or significantly scaling down more than 100 of its 400 bases and cutting 15,000 soldiering jobs. https://www.thelocal.de/20111026/38453 Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:33:00 +0200 38453 German Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière said Sunday he wants to find out why so many volunteers are leaving the army during training. Over 20 percent have quit training since the Bundeswehr became an all-volunteer force in July. https://www.thelocal.de/20110926/37825 Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:48:00 +0200 37825 Defence Ministry officials gave conflicting views Friday about whether Germany will need to take part in an international peacekeeping mission to stabilize Libya after fighting there ends. And there was rare German praise for the NATO effort in the North African country. https://www.thelocal.de/20110826/37201 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:24:00 +0200 37201 Reacting to a parliamentary report that German soldiers in Afghanistan are being endangered by a shortage of equipment, Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière promised that problems would be addressed immediately. https://www.thelocal.de/20110717/36351 Sun, 17 Jul 2011 17:04:00 +0200 36351 Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière Wednesday outlined a broad reform of the German armed forces that will see troop levels slashed from 250,000 to some 185,000 in a bid to improve efficiency. https://www.thelocal.de/20110518/35101 Wed, 18 May 2011 16:07:00 +0200 35101 German Chancellor Angela Merkel reshuffled her cabinet on Wednesday, making Thomas de Maizière defence minister following Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg's resignation. Hans-Peter Friedrich will take over the Interior Ministry. https://www.thelocal.de/20110302/33457 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:17:00 +0100 33457 Some two months after declaring a heightened terrorism alert, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière said Tuesday he still couldn’t give an all-clear signal. https://www.thelocal.de/20110111/32337 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 09:15:00 +0100 32337