BERLIN: Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday fired his rebellious Finance Minister Christian Lindner, spelling doom for the three-party coalition though Scholz could stay on in a minority government.
The move came after weeks of bitter feuding that have rocked the coalition government between Scholz’s Social Democrats, Lindner’s Free Democrats and the Greens.
Scholz fired his finance minister during a crunch meeting of senior figures from all three ideologically disparate parties at the chancellery, Scholz’s spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told AFP.
The chancellery scheduled a press conference for 2015 GMT, and Lindner announced statements to the media shortly after, to be followed by Greens politicians.
Fiscal hawk Lindner had proposed sweeping reforms to jumpstart the troubled German economy that the other two parties opposed, and had long flirted with bolting the unhappy coalition.
He had repeatedly warned of “an autumn of decisions” as difficult budget talks have loomed.
Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck of the Greens had warned that the US presidential election, Germany’s economic woes and the Ukraine and Middle East wars make this “the worst time for the government to fail.”
The Bild daily reported that on Wednesday he told the other parties that the talks of recent days had shown there was not enough common ground on economic and financial policy.
Lindner had argued that Donald Trump’s US presidential election victory had made an economic turnaround even more urgent.
The newspaper added that Lindner had suggested that the parties opt for new elections in early 2025, but that Scholz had rejected the proposal.
If confirmed, this would suggest the Social Democrats and the Greens will seek to stay in power as a minority government until scheduled elections in September 2025.
Germany’s Scholz fires rebellious finance minister
https://arab.news/pvhqt
Germany’s Scholz fires rebellious finance minister
- The move came after weeks of bitter feuding that have rocked the coalition government
- Fiscal hawk Lindner had proposed sweeping reforms to jumpstart the troubled German economy
Most of Iranian women’s soccer team leave Australia
GOLD COAST: The Iranian women’s soccer team left Australia without seven squad members after tearful protests of their departure outside Sydney Airport and frantic final efforts inside the terminal by Australian officials, who sought to ensure the women understood they were being offered asylum.
As the team’s flight time drew nearer and they passed through security late on Tuesday, each woman was taken aside to meet alone with officials who explained through interpreters that they could choose not to return to Iran.
Before the team traveled to the airport, seven women had accepted humanitarian visas allowing them to remain permanently in Australia and were ushered to a safe location by Australian police officers.
One has since changed her mind, underscoring the tense and precarious nature of their decisions.
“In Australia, people are able to change their mind,” said Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, who had hours earlier posted photos of the seven women granted humanitarian visas to his social media accounts, their identities clearly visible.
After what Burke described as “emotional” meetings between the remaining women who reached the airport and Australian officials, the rest of the team declined offers of asylum and boarded their flight.
It was a dramatic conclusion to an episode that had gripped Australia since the Iranian team’s first game at the Asian Cup soccer tournament, when they remained silent during their national anthem.
