Word: fdp
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...During the past week, several members of her party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), have publicly laid into her laissez-faire leadership style, claiming it has weakened the conservative party's base. And Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, leader of the CDU's partner in government, the Free Democratic Party (FDP), has challenged her government's stances on key foreign policy issues, namely German troop levels in Afghanistan and Turkey's long-delayed bid to join the European Union...
...Merkel wasn't expecting to encounter so many problems so soon with the governing coalition she negotiated with the pro-business FDP and the CDU's sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), following her victory in last September's elections. But holding the coalition together is proving to be a challenge given the policy differences, competing egos and vested interests involved. In an effort to try to iron out the partners' differences, the leaders of all three parties will meet for dinner on Jan. 17 to discuss a host of issues: tax cuts, health care reform, Afghanistan...
...Merkel has been at loggerheads with the FDP over tax reform for months. The FDP has insisted that the government stick to the compromise agreed upon during the coalition talks to introduce additional tax cuts worth $35 billion in 2011. But given Germany's soaring budget deficit, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, a member of the CDU, is now reportedly looking to postpone the tax cuts until after...
...under intense pressure from the myriad lobbyists, medical insurers, doctors' groups and pharmaceutical companies as he attempts to change the financing structure of the country's health-care system. The appointment of a relative ingénu to this key post caused widespread surprise. One newspaper carried the headline: "FDP Youngster in a Dogfight." But some analysts say his youth and inexperience in federal government will not be a huge issue. " Rösler is very competent, he's a doctor and he's already served as minister in the regional government in Lower Saxony," Oskar Niedermayer, a political science...
...sler was sworn into office with 14 other cabinet members at a ceremony in Berlin on Wednesday, four weeks after parliamentary elections gave Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) enough seats to form a government with the FDP. With the FDP leader Guido Westerwelle becoming Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister and the party also claiming the key economics portfolio along with international development and justice, the Free Democrats are aiming to leverage their junior coalition position for maximum effect. Rösler, as the party's rising star, will no doubt figure prominently in their plans. (Read: "'Much Work' Ahead...