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Germany’s defense minister Ursula von der Leyen said Friday that her government planned to make the military one of the most sought after employers in the country. Von der Leyen was presenting a proposal for a more attractive Bundeswehr at the German parliament, the Bundestag. “This isn’t a sprint; rather, we have a marathon ahead of us,” the minister said. Von der Leyen, who belongs to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), proposed more part-time work, better promotion opportunities and legally-stipulated working hours—a first in the German military. …

Germany’s defense minister, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Sunday that NATO should show greater support for member countries who could face military aggression from Russia. However, the comments were met with sharp criticism from some German parliamentarians, who accused her of contributing to the escalation of tension around Russia’s actions in Crimea. In an interview with German public broadcaster ARD, the defense chief dismissed those critics and stood by her position. “It’s important to make clear that NATO isn’t just something on paper, but that we are there for each other,” von der Leyen said in comments that were...

Germany’s military is to be deployed more frequently on foreign operations, defense minister Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday. […] Opposition parties accused von der Leyen of changing tack and her comments mark a stark shift to the policy pursued by former Foreign Minister Gudio Westerwelle, who sought to keep German troops out of war zones. …

BERLIN (Reuters) - Angela Merkel is expected to name Ursula von der Leyen as her new defense minister when she presents her cabinet list on Sunday, a surprise choice that could vault the ambitious ally into the lead as the front runner to succeed the chancellor.

Unemployment in Germany fell below 3m in October for the first time in 18 years, according to unadjusted figures released by the federal labour office. The government in Berlin greeted the news with delight and saw it as confirmation that its measures to revive the economy from last year’s recession had been timely and effective. Seasonally adjusted jobless figures showed rather less improvement, with a decline of just 3,000 in registered unemployed for a total figure of 3.153m, or 7.5 per cent of the labour force. The figures were leaked on Wednesday, a day early, by Ursula von der Leyen,...