What do a US Senator from Delaware and the Chancellor of Germany have in common. It turns out, they have a lot in common.
Chris Coons and Olaf Scholz met in Washington DC on Thursday. Chris Coons and Olaf Scholz saw each other in Washington DC on Thursday. Then they took a picture together and posted it online with the same question.
“Who is who? ” Sen Coons made a joke, which is in German for “Wer ist wer. ”
At first look, it was tough to tell them apart because they had similar grey hair, were starting to go bald, and had big smiles.
Mr Scholz is the leader of Germany’s three-party government that started in 2021. He is not known for being funny. The experienced left-wing politician quickly joined in the fun.
“Chancellor Scholz said he was happy to see someone who looks just like him again. He posted a picture on X, which used to be called Twitter. ”
They are both around the same age, 60 and 65, and are both about 5ft 7in tall. They both like politics and want to send more military help to Ukraine as soon as possible.
Mr Scholz came to Washington DC for a planned meeting with President Joe Biden. He wanted to ask for help for Ukraine and talk about the consequences if more aid is not given.
He talked to Sen Coons and other lawmakers on Thursday to tell them the same thing.
MrScholz is visiting while Congress is trying to find a way to give more help to Ukraine and Israel. It’s difficult because Republicans are against it.
The German leader wrote in an article on the Wall Street Journal that people in other countries are watching to see if our disagreements can be used against us.
We need to show that they are wrong by telling people on both sides of the ocean that if Russia wins, the world will be much more dangerous.
Tag: Olaf Scholz
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US Senator Chris Coons discovers German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as his look alike
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‘Pirate Olaf’ Scholz, chancellor, hurt while jogging
The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, shared a picture of himself wearing an eye patch because he got hurt while running.
The accident happened on Saturday close to his house in Potsdam, which is near Berlin.
He decided to cancel the local election events on Sunday because of the accident. However, he will still attend his planned activities, such as giving many speeches to the public in the next few days.
In a message on X, previously known as Twitter, he said that something appears to be more negative than it actually is.
The person had a minor fall, but the picture shows some injuries around the eye, as well as on the nose and chin.
His representative said the leader was feeling positive but appeared tired or exhausted. They also mentioned that Mr. Scholz shared the picture so that people could become accustomed to his appearance in the upcoming weeks.
In the message about X, he mentioned that he was excited to see the funny pictures or videos.
Some people on social media made jokes about how the injuries were related to fights among the government group. The website for the city of Cologne, where a big carnival happens every year, suggested that people could dress up as “Pirate Olaf” for the carnival next year.
Based on the many positive comments online, it seems that German voters really like Chancellor Scholz’s new pirate image. Or perhaps they were just happily surprised by a public relations success from a leader who is often viewed as not very good at communicating in Germany.
In a survey conducted by public TV station ZDF in August, 72% of people said that Mr Scholz tended to avoid directly answering questions more than other politicians. In another survey by ZDF in August, more than half (51%) of the voters were not happy with him, while only 43% were satisfied.
These ratings for a German chancellor are not very good.
He tends to say the same things over and over again and his way of making decisions is to do it secretly and then tell everyone what he decided. Critics think that he seems confident in a way that can make people feel like he’s not very approachable or easy to understand. They also think that compared to others who are good at using the media, he comes across as stiff and out-of-touch with modern ways.
ButScholz’s main problem is that he is in charge of a government made up of three different parties, each with their own goals and beliefs. This group is having a hard time because of many problems, like rising prices and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The group he works with wants to make big changes in Germany. People who support him say that in the last two years, Mr. Scholz’s government has made more changes than Angela Merkel did in 16 years. However, the business-friendly low-tax liberal Free Democrat Party (FDP) often gets into conflicts with the left-leaning Greens.
He often disagrees with many people in his own center-left Social Democrat Party (SDP), which believes in more government spending than Mr. Scholz, a centrist who used to be in charge of finances. The inside disagreements make voters angry and have caused a decrease in support.
Based on a recent survey, if an election were to take place now, the government would only receive 38% of the vote, which means they would not have the majority. The SPD party, led by the chancellor, has had a significant drop in popularity. They now only have 18% support in the polls, which is very bad for a party that used to get 40% in elections.
MrScholz can find some comfort knowing that voters are not choosing the opposition conservatives. His main rival for the highest position in Germany, Friedrich Merz, who is a conservative leader, is even more disliked by people.
With the current gloomy atmosphere in German politics, voters are likely thankful for any small moment of amusement that shows Olaf Scholz has a sense of humor. -
Germany’s Scholz: Threat of Russia using nuclear weapons has decreased
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says, the risk of nuclear weapons being used in the Ukraine conflict has decreased “for the time being.”
“In response to the international community drawing a line, Russia has stopped threatening to use nuclear weapons,” Mr Scholz said.
Russia’s Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that nuclear weapons would only be used in retaliation.
However, the United States condemned the remarks as “loose talk.”
Mr Scholz said in an interview on Thursday that his recent trip to China helped “put a stop” to the threat of nuclear escalation.
He stated that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed that “nuclear weapons must not be used,” and that the G20 countries quickly reaffirmed this position.
The German chancellor’s comment came the day after President Putin said that the risk of nuclear war is “growing – it would be wrong to hide it”.
Speaking at a televised meeting of his human rights council, the Russian leader asserted that Russia would “under no circumstances” use the weapons first and would not threaten anyone with its nuclear arsenal.
“We have not gone mad, we are aware of what nuclear weapons are,” he said, adding: “We aren’t about to run around the world brandishing this weapon like a razor.”
In the interview, Mr Scholz also addressed comments made by French President Emmanuel Macron that it would be necessary to provide “guarantees for its own security to Russia, the day it returns to the table” of negotiations.
“The priority now is for Russia to end the war immediately and withdraw its troops,” he said, adding that “of course we are ready to talk with Russia about arms control in Europe. We offered this before the war, and this position has not changed.”
Despite Mr Scholz’s assessment that the risk has been lowered thanks to Western pressure, the US criticised Mr Putin’s comments, which it said amounted to “loose talk” and “nuclear sabre-rattling”.
“It is dangerous and it goes against the spirit of that statement that has been at the core of the nuclear non-proliferation regime since the Cold War,” said a US state department spokesman.
Mr Scholz – who on Thursday marks one year since being elected chancellor – also touched upon the domestic defence issues that have been in the spotlight since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Shortly after Russia invaded the country, he announced a major defence policy shift by committing to spend €100bn (£86.4bn) on the Germany army and ramping up defence spending to above 2% of Germany’s GDP.
Now Mr Scholz has said he hopes to develop a missile defence shield in the next five years and signalled that the German government is already in talks with manufacturers of various defence systems “to get ready for concrete decisions”.
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‘Justified’: Germany’s Olaf Scholz defends energy support plan
Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, has defended a costly package designed to shield individuals and businesses from rising energy costs. The strategy, which critics claim will distort competition, is being discussed with Germany, according to the EU.
The German chancellor on Tuesday said a €200 billion ($198 billion) energy support package was justified and that similar steps were being taken elsewhere.
The “defensive shield” includes a gas price brake and a cut in fuel sales tax. It is aimed at protecting businesses and households from the impact of rising energy prices.
“The measures we are taking are not unique but are also being taken elsewhere and rightly so,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz told a press conference in Berlin during the visit of his Dutch colleague Mark Rutte.
“Some have long been in the process, with major supports and measures, of doing exactly what we have set out to do this year and the next two years,” Scholz said.
Overall, it’s a “very balanced, a very smart, a very decisive package that serves to keep prices down and bearable for as long as these challenges exist,” Scholz added.
German Finance Minister Christian Lindner, from the neoliberal Free Democrats, also sought to reassure his EU counterparts at talks in Luxembourg on Tuesday.
“There had been a misunderstanding. … Our package … is proportionate if you compare the size and the vulnerability of the German economy,” Lindner said.
‘Supporting those who need it most’
Later on Tuesday, Scholz met with Germany’s state premiers. At a press conference following the talks, the chancellor again defended the government’s decision, saying it was their job to “protect jobs” and “support those who need it most.”
Scholz said that the most recent rescue package would have “dramatic effects” on the people and businesses watching their financial situation suffer.
He acknowledged that the federal and state governments “were not exactly on the same page,” as struggles continued over who would pay for what. However, he said “I am certain we will come to an agreement.”
Why is the package controversial?
Opponents of the package say it will distort competition inside the single market by giving an advantage to German businesses.
The European Union’s internal market commissioner, Thierry Breton, and economy commissioner, Paolo Gentiloni, from France and Italy, respectively, say the German plan “raised questions” on fairness. They called for an EU-wide measure to be used to help countries.
The European Commission, which supervises antitrust policy across the EU, said on Monday that it was talking to Berlin about the package.
“We are fully committed to preserving a level playing field and a single market, and avoiding harmful subsidy races,” a spokesperson for the commission told a news conference.
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German inflation in September reaches a record 10%
In September, the inflation rate in Germany reached a new high of 10%. The announcement follows economic forecasts that the GDP will contract in 2019.
High energy and food prices pushed inflation in Germany to 10% in September. In August, the figure was 7.9%.
Rising energy costs, which have skyrocketed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, were fueling inflation.
According to the federal statistical office, Destatis, energy prices were 43.9% higher in September 2022 this year than in the same month last year.
Destatis said the end of a fuel subsidy and the €9 public transport ticket “presumably had an impact on the inflation rate in September.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on Thursday plans for an energy relief package worth €150-200 billion ($145-194 billion).
“The German government will do everything so that prices sink,” Scholz said in a press conference.
Germany expected to enter a recession
The inflation announcement follows a forecast by a leading group of think tanks earlier on Thursday that painted a bleak picture for Germany’s future economic prospects.
According to the think tanks’ projections, the crisis in the gas markets, spiraling energy prices, and a massive drop in purchasing power would push the German economy into recession.
The high cost of energy was the leading factor “driving Germany toward recession,” said Torsten Schmidt, head of economic research at the RWI think tank.
Schmidt told a media briefing that Europe’s largest economy would shrink over the second half of 2022.
Incomplete recovery from the global pandemic was among the factors contributing to Germany’s economic future.
Munich’s ifo Institute said in a statement earlier on Thursday that inflation would likely average at 8.8% in the coming year.
Inflation is expected to settle down in 2024 — “to be only slightly above the ECB’s target rate of 2%.”
German GDP is also expected to shrink by 0.4% in 2023, down from April’s estimate of 3.1% growth, before rebounding back to a state of growth in 2024.
The forecasts came Thursday as part of the so-called Joint Economic Forecast, which is prepared twice a year by the Ifo Institute in Munich, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH), and the RWI — Leibniz Institute for Economic Research.
Germany is not alone in the economic challenges it is facing. According to the joint statement, the global economy is in a downturn, with Russia’s war against Ukraine and subsequent Western sanctions against Moscow fueling the level of inflation for energy commodities.
The high levels of inflation have prompted the US Federal Reserve, along with many other central banks, to tighten monetary policy.
The joint report also pointed to China’s zero-COVID strategy, which prohibits economic activity during periods of lockdown, and a bubbling real estate crisis as having impacts on the economy.