Word: german
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...Once appeared on the German version of the reality show Big Brother - the only German politician to have done...
Germany's elections on Sept. 27 had more than one victor. Sure, German Chancellor Angela Merkel retained her grip on the post. But Guido Westerwelle, the head of the Free Democrats, was the real winner, becoming the first openly gay leader of a governing German party. Though Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats pulled in one-third of the vote - less than in 2005 - Westerwelle's party captured 14.6% of the ballots, a 4.7% increase that was the largest of any group. Germany will now be ruled by a coalition of the two parties. Following German tradition, Westerwelle is slated...
Quotes By: "Would you please be so kind, this is a press conference in Germany." - Scolding a BBC reporter for asking a question in English rather than German (The Independent, Sept...
...That won't please business leaders, who have welcomed the prospect of a new direction. "We want to work with the new government to make sure there's economic growth," said Hans-Peter Keitel, the President of the Federation of German Industries (BDI). That enthusiasm will disappear quickly should Merkel shy away from change. "I hope the new government will be good for business as Germany needs structural reforms," Volker Treier, the chief economist of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce told TIME. "We need a more flexible labor market, reforms of the social security system...
...unlikely Westerwelle will be in the mood for too many compromises. The FDP leader, tipped to become Germany's new foreign minister, criticized the previous government for bailing out the automaker Opel, while neglecting small and medium-sized firms - the famed "Mittelstand" which make up the backbone of the German economy. Westerwelle also called for controversial reforms to make it easier for firms to hire and fire workers and he proposed 400 spending cuts. That could lead to clashes with Merkel, who's spent the past few years defending Germany's social and labor protections. "I think Chancellor Merkel will...