Free Republic

President Biden on Wednesday mixed up which German leader he spoke to at a recent Group of Seven (G7) summit, the second time in a week he has mistakenly recounted meeting with a dead European leader. Biden told donors at a New York fundraiser a story about his trip to his first G7 meeting after taking office, when he declared “America’s back.” “And the president of France looked at me and said, ‘For how long?’ I never thought of it this way,” Biden said. “Then, Helmut Kohl of Germany looked at me and said, ‘What would you say, Mr. President,...

Hamas Leader Khaled Mash'al at a Damascus Mosque: The Nation of Islam Will Sit at the Throne of the World and the West Will Be Full of Remorse – When it's Too Late The following are excerpts from an address by Hamas leader Khaled Mash'al at the Al-Murabit Mosque in Damascus. The address was delivered following the Friday sermon at the mosque, and was aired on Al-Jazeera TV on February 3, 2006. "We Say to This West... By Allah, You Will Be defeated" Khaled Mash'al: "We apologize to our Prophet Muhammad, but we say to him: Oh Prophet of Allah,...

At the beginning of her third term, Merkel has more power in Germany and Europe than any chancellor before her. There hasn’t been such a strong majority behind a government in Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, since the first grand coalition half a century ago. In the midst of the European crisis, Germany has become the undisputed dominant power in Europe. The grand coalition will hand Merkel a majority she could use to shape Germany and Europe and address major issues, including constitutional reforms in Germany and the reform of European Union institutions. … (O)fficials at the Chancellery are forging plans...

Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, has been disappointed by the statement of German ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel, where she claimed that the Minsk agreements of 2014 enabled Ukraine to prepare for war with Russia. For me, it was completely unexpected. It is disappointing. I did not expect to hear something like that from the ex-Chancellor. I always hoped that the German leadership was genuine. Yes, she was on Ukraine’s side, supporting it. But nevertheless, I genuinely hoped that German leadership expected a settlement based on the principles achieved, among other things, during the Minsk negotiations." "It appears to me that...

GENEVA (AP) — The U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday it’s giving its highest award to former German Chancellor Angela Merkel for her efforts to welcome more than 1 million refugees — mostly from Syria — into Germany, despite some criticism both at home and abroad. Matthew Saltmarsh, spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said Merkel had been selected as the latest recipient for the Nansen award, which is handed out annually by the Geneva-based U.N. agency. “Under the then-Federal Chancellor Merkel’s leadership, Germany welcomed more than 1.2 million refugees and asylum-seekers in 2015 and 2016, which, as you...

Germany’s economy and climate minister has angrily lashed out at Angela Merkel’s party, accusing it of being responsible for “16 years of energy policy failure”. While the ongoing gas crisis across Europe gets steadily worse, political tensions in Germany appear to be growing, with the country’s economic and climate minister, Robert Habeck, angrily lashing out at his political rivals in the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the party of former chancellor Angela Merkel. Despite having been warned by then-President Donald Trump that relying on Russia for energy was endangering the security of both Germany and her allies, Merkel’s government presided over...

Residents express anger at Angela Merkel’s open border policy.. Some have expressed anger at former German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s open border migrant policy after a Syrian national was arrested for the murder of a teenage girl whose body was found at a sewage treatment plant. 17-year-old Tabitha E. left an apartment in Asperg, southern Germany, on Tuesday afternoon last week, but the alarm was raised after she didn’t return home that evening. After an extensive police search, the girl’s body was found on Sunday at the Leudelsbach sewage treatment plant. After the home of a suspect was search and investigators...

The escalating civilian toll of Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has fuelled calls for a reappraisal of more than a decade of French and German efforts to engage with a leader whose forces stand accused of committing horrific war crimes in Ukraine. Ukraine’s embattled President Volodymyr Zelensky did not mince his words as he addressed Western leaders in a video message late on Sunday, just hours after witnessing the trail of death and destruction that Russian forces left in their wake as they retreated from Kyiv’s northern suburb of Bucha. He had a special message for the former leaders of...

Berlin (AFP) – Up to the final hours before Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, former chancellor Angela Merkel had been touted as the person favoured by Germans to try to talk President Vladimir Putin out of the conflict. But as Russian bombs fell on Ukrainian cities, a shadow has fallen on Merkel's 16 years in office, with some observers now questioning if her detente policies with Putin had in fact left Germany, and Europe, vulnerable. Once hailed as the leader of the free world, the veteran centre-right leader has been accused by some of increasing Europe's reliance on Russian...

It was obviously a tough pill -- or shall we say nut -- for Joe Scarborough to swallow. On Wednesday's Morning Joe, the Trump hater par excellence grudgingly admitted that as president, Donald Trump got it right when he chided Angela Merkel over Germany's dependence on Russian oil. Although Scarborough spoke of "oil," Trump's key concern was Merkel's agreeing to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, bringing Russian gas, not oil. Here's a 2018 Reuters article quoting Trump saying the gas pipeline deal made Germany "a captive to Russia.

BERLIN (AP) — Germany is marking the 75th anniversary of the most famous plot to kill Adolf Hitler, honoring those who resisted the Nazis — who were stigmatized for decades as traitors — as pillars of the country’s modern democracy amid growing concerns about the resurgence of the far-right. Chancellor Angela Merkel, who will speak Saturday at an annual swearing-in ceremony for some 400 troops before addressing a memorial event, paid tribute ahead of the anniversary to executed plot leader Col. Claus von Stauffenberg and his fellow conspirators and highlighted their importance to modern Germany. “Only if we understand our...

Germany’s Defence Ministry has declined to comment after the press learnt on Thursday that around 700 of the missiles they planned to send to Ukraine were found to be so old they had become inoperable. Berlin had planned to send Ukraine 2,700 ‘Strela’ rockets dating back to the German Communist era, as part of the weapons package Germany had prepared to help Kyiv fend off the Russian invasion, but at least 700 have been revealed to be defective, with the boxes they’re stored in being described as “mouldy”. The rockets had initially been designed for use by the National People’s...

Former President Donald Trump spoke with Laura Ingraham Wednesday night as Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale attack against Ukraine. Trump says “this is something that shouldn’t have happened,” and people are going to be “needlessly killed.” “This is something that should have never happened,” he said. “This would not have happened during my administration. In fact, some people were saying, why didn’t this take place over the past four years during my administration? And it didn’t for a very good reason. I’ll explain that to you someday. But it wouldn’t have taken place, and it wouldn’t have taken...

The Social Democratic Party’s Olaf Scholz has been elected Chancellor of Germany, marking the end of Angela Merkel’s 16-year reign. Olaf Scholz, who was elected Chancellor of Germany on Wednesday, will lead a so-called “Traffic Light” coalition of left-wing parties, the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD, red), the Green Party, and the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP, yellow).

A military ceremony has been held in honour of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is due to step down next week after 16 years in office...

Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel, alongside successor Olaf Scholz, announced Thursday that unvaccinated citizens will be prohibited from entering nonessential public places, according to BBC News. Those who are unvaccinated will be barred from places such as restaurants, shops, bars or events, with the exception being if they have recently recovered from a case of COVID-19. "Culture and leisure nationwide will be open only to those who have been vaccinated or recovered," Merkel saidin announcing the lockdown.

Jake Tapper inadvertently admits COVID security theater.. CNN host Jake Tapper inadvertently revealed the security theater that is ‘COVID-safe’ after he tried to reassure people “we took off our masks just for the photo.” Tapper posted an image of himself and his CNN staffers for a “bake off” event before tweeting, “for anyone concerned, we took off our masks just for the photo, but generally we all wear masks around the office. also, we’re all vaccinated.” ... Apparently, COVID has developed artificial intelligence and knows not to infect people when they’re doing a photo-op. “Did you get everyone’s permission in...

Pope Francis had high praise for German Chancellor Angela Merkel Friday, predicting that she will “go down in history as one of the great leaders.” The pope said the Merkel administration constitutes “an interesting milestone in world politics and a call to women who feel a political vocation.” Asked about Merkel, who will soon step down as chancellor of Germany after 16 years, the pontiff praised her for her realistic approach to government, asserting she “is not a fanciful woman” because her ideals “become reality.” At the beginning of October, the pope and Merkel held their final meeting for 45...

BERLIN, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Germany's Social Democrats narrowly won Sunday's national election, projected results showed, and claimed a "clear mandate" to lead a government for the first time since 2005 and to end 16 years of conservative-led rule under Angela Merkel. The centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) were on track for 26.0% of the vote, ahead of 24.5% for Merkel's CDU/CSU conservative bloc, projections for broadcaster ZDF showed....

Polls indicate a close election As Angela Merkel's conservatives slipped behind and the center-left Social Democrats, the chancellor was forced to break her pledge not to get involved in the election campaign. The CDU's Armin Laschet has played on fears of a swing to the left in his campaigning, and the gap narrowed in the final stretch. The SPD's Olaf Scholz is eager to hold on to his lead, seeking to convince voters that he is the most credible successor to Merkel. Meanwhile, the Greens are appealing to voters on the theme of climate change, but face the challenge of...