Germany

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, and the chairman of the German Christian Social Union state group, Alexander Dobrindt, center, arrive for a faction meeting at the Bundestag, in Berlin, on Monday.

World News

Germany's Merkel: New Elections Preferable To Minority Government

1:27am November 21, 2017

by Scott Neuman

The chancellor says she's "very skeptical" of forming a minority government, something that hasn't happened in nearly 70 years. New elections are the better option, she says.

German Chancellor and leader of the German Christian Democrats (CDU) Angela Merkel, stands with leading members of her party, as she speaks to the media after preliminary coalition talks collapsed on Sunday.

World News

Future Of Germany's Merkel In Doubt As Coalition Talks Collapse

6:24am November 20, 2017

by Scott Neuman

Meetings in the wake of September's election have left the German chancellor empty-handed. Without a deal, her government could collapse, with Germany potentially forced into new elections.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives at her Berlin party headquarters Friday for talks with members of potential coalition parties to form a new government.

Germany's Merkel, Weakened After Poor Election Showing, Struggles To Form Government

10:40am November 17, 2017

by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

The unprecedented prospect of a repeat election looms as Merkel and her diverse would-be coalition partners try to surmount differences. "This could be the end of Angela Merkel," warns a commentator.

Germany's top court has ruled that parliament must legally recognize a third gender from birth. A complaint was brought by a person identified only as Vanja, pictured here in 2014, who is intersex.

High Court Says Germany's Birth Registry Must Allow Third Gender Option

5:45pm November 08, 2017

by Laurel Wamsley

Lawmakers must create new rules either creating a third gender option or dispensing with gender in civil status. An advocacy group called the decision "a small revolution in the area of gender."

Anas Modamani speaks to the media Feb. 6 in Wuerzburg, Germany, after a court session about his lawsuit against Facebook. Modamani's suit, regarding the misuse of a selfie he took of himself with German Chancellor Angela Merkel was rejected, but his lawye

World News

With Huge Fines, German Law Pushes Social Networks To Delete Abusive Posts

9:04am October 31, 2017

by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

Social media companies could be penalized by as much as $58.3 million if they don't remove a malicious post from their platforms soon after it is reported — in some cases within 24 hours.

Queue Listen Now

Alexander Gauland, 76, and Alice Weidel, 38, are the leaders of the populist, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party. They will both take seats in the country's Parliament later this month.

The 'Very Different' Leaders Of Germany's Far-Right AfD Party

5:00pm October 10, 2017

by Simon Schuetz

The populist, anti-immigrant party is led by a lesbian former investment banker who's worked in China and a 76-year-old politician who abandoned Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union.

The far-right Alternative for Germany party came in third place nationally, but in the eastern state of Saxony, where the town of Pirna is located, the party finished first with 27 percent of the vote.

World News

German Election Results Highlight Old Divides Between East And West

3:54pm September 26, 2017

by Simon Schuetz

Many voters in the eastern part of the country supported the far-right Alternative for Germany party. "The frustration there is considerable," says one analyst. "It is a feeling of being left behind."

Aktham Abulhusn rides the subway on his way to Berlin Alexanderplatz. He came from Syria to Germany in early 2015 on a student visa and now lives there on a refugee visa. Now that his German language skills are improving, he is trying to find a girlfriend

World News

Navigating A New Culture, A Syrian Refugee In Germany Seeks A Dating Coach's Advice

10:25am September 26, 2017

by Gregory Warner

In the final episode of NPR's Rough Translation podcast, Aktham Abulhusn seeks help from a dating coach in Berlin to learn the unwritten rules of German culture. He hopes to find a girlfriend.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks in Berlin on Monday.

'Hard Confrontations' Ahead With Far-Right Party In German Parliament, Merkel Says

12:01pm September 25, 2017

by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would work to win back voters who'd abandoned her party. Meanwhile, internal squabbles erupted among leaders of the far-right Alternative for Germany party.

Even though German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union party came in first in Sunday's parliamentary election, she said she "would have preferred a better result."

Right-Wing Party Makes Strong Showing in German Elections

6:09pm September 24, 2017

Early poll results from Sunday's vote show the AfD had the best showing for a far-right party in decades, taking third place.