Latest news with #Klöckner
DW
15-06-2025
- Politics
- DW
Germany updates: Soldiers gather for first-ever Veterans Day – DW – 06/15/2025
06/15/2025 June 15, 2025 AfD and Left Party warned over behavior in parliament The president of the German parliament, Julia Klöckner, has warned members of the far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the socialist Left Party (Die Linke) over their behavior in the Bundestag, accusing of them of using the platform offered by parliament to go viral on social media. "We have a strengthened Left Party and a strengthened AfD in parliament who seem to need each other to serve their respective constituencies on TikTok and other platforms," said Bundestagspräsidentin Klöckner, who fulfils functions similar to that of a parliamentary speaker in other countries. "There are currently several candidates for top spot when it comes to rule breaches," she told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) media outlet this weekend. "And that shouldn't be taken as an accolade. The floor [of parliament] is not a stage on which to produce content for digital media. This is where we confront each other using words." Klöckner, a member of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), recently ordered two Left Party members to leave the hall after donning items of clothing which conveyed "intentional provocations." Last week, lawmaker Cansin Köktürk was asked to change out of a black t-shirt which bore the word "Palestine" while her colleague Marcel Bauer refused to remove a Basque beret. Klöckner judged that both items contravened rules which state that lawmakers' attire must "respect the dignity of the house."
The Advertiser
15-06-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Germany holding first tribute for military personnel
Active and former soldiers of Germany's armed forces will for the first time be honoured for their service with a full-fledged National Veterans Day. The central event will take place in Berlin on Sunday, around the Reichstag parliament building under the patronage of its president Julia Klöckner, as lawmakers decided a year ago. The day will be celebrated in many cities and Bundeswehr bases throughout Germany. Henceforth, June 15 will be celebrated annually on the nearest weekend. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, more attention has been paid to the military in Germany, setting aside some of the stigma associated with the country's involvement in the two World Wars. There is also fresh perspective on Germany's participation in NATO and UN missions for the past 25 years, including in Afghanistan, where 59 members of the Bundeswehr lost their lives between 2001 and 2021. Around 10 million Germans have done military service or were professional or regular soldiers. Around 500,000 men and women were deployed in Afghanistan, Mali or Bosnia-Herzegovina among other places. "Our veterans have earned the support, recognition and respect of us all," said Klöckner ahead of the occasion. Active and former soldiers of Germany's armed forces will for the first time be honoured for their service with a full-fledged National Veterans Day. The central event will take place in Berlin on Sunday, around the Reichstag parliament building under the patronage of its president Julia Klöckner, as lawmakers decided a year ago. The day will be celebrated in many cities and Bundeswehr bases throughout Germany. Henceforth, June 15 will be celebrated annually on the nearest weekend. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, more attention has been paid to the military in Germany, setting aside some of the stigma associated with the country's involvement in the two World Wars. There is also fresh perspective on Germany's participation in NATO and UN missions for the past 25 years, including in Afghanistan, where 59 members of the Bundeswehr lost their lives between 2001 and 2021. Around 10 million Germans have done military service or were professional or regular soldiers. Around 500,000 men and women were deployed in Afghanistan, Mali or Bosnia-Herzegovina among other places. "Our veterans have earned the support, recognition and respect of us all," said Klöckner ahead of the occasion. Active and former soldiers of Germany's armed forces will for the first time be honoured for their service with a full-fledged National Veterans Day. The central event will take place in Berlin on Sunday, around the Reichstag parliament building under the patronage of its president Julia Klöckner, as lawmakers decided a year ago. The day will be celebrated in many cities and Bundeswehr bases throughout Germany. Henceforth, June 15 will be celebrated annually on the nearest weekend. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, more attention has been paid to the military in Germany, setting aside some of the stigma associated with the country's involvement in the two World Wars. There is also fresh perspective on Germany's participation in NATO and UN missions for the past 25 years, including in Afghanistan, where 59 members of the Bundeswehr lost their lives between 2001 and 2021. Around 10 million Germans have done military service or were professional or regular soldiers. Around 500,000 men and women were deployed in Afghanistan, Mali or Bosnia-Herzegovina among other places. "Our veterans have earned the support, recognition and respect of us all," said Klöckner ahead of the occasion. Active and former soldiers of Germany's armed forces will for the first time be honoured for their service with a full-fledged National Veterans Day. The central event will take place in Berlin on Sunday, around the Reichstag parliament building under the patronage of its president Julia Klöckner, as lawmakers decided a year ago. The day will be celebrated in many cities and Bundeswehr bases throughout Germany. Henceforth, June 15 will be celebrated annually on the nearest weekend. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, more attention has been paid to the military in Germany, setting aside some of the stigma associated with the country's involvement in the two World Wars. There is also fresh perspective on Germany's participation in NATO and UN missions for the past 25 years, including in Afghanistan, where 59 members of the Bundeswehr lost their lives between 2001 and 2021. Around 10 million Germans have done military service or were professional or regular soldiers. Around 500,000 men and women were deployed in Afghanistan, Mali or Bosnia-Herzegovina among other places. "Our veterans have earned the support, recognition and respect of us all," said Klöckner ahead of the occasion.
Perth Now
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Germany holding first tribute for military personnel
Active and former soldiers of Germany's armed forces will for the first time be honoured for their service with a full-fledged National Veterans Day. The central event will take place in Berlin on Sunday, around the Reichstag parliament building under the patronage of its president Julia Klöckner, as lawmakers decided a year ago. The day will be celebrated in many cities and Bundeswehr bases throughout Germany. Henceforth, June 15 will be celebrated annually on the nearest weekend. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, more attention has been paid to the military in Germany, setting aside some of the stigma associated with the country's involvement in the two World Wars. There is also fresh perspective on Germany's participation in NATO and UN missions for the past 25 years, including in Afghanistan, where 59 members of the Bundeswehr lost their lives between 2001 and 2021. Around 10 million Germans have done military service or were professional or regular soldiers. Around 500,000 men and women were deployed in Afghanistan, Mali or Bosnia-Herzegovina among other places. "Our veterans have earned the support, recognition and respect of us all," said Klöckner ahead of the occasion.
Euronews
04-06-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Left Party MP expelled from German parliament over Palestine t-shirt
Left Party MP Cansin Köktürk was thrown out of a German parliament plenary chamber on Wednesday for wearing a t-shirt with the word "Palestine" printed on it, a move deemed a political statement by the parliamentary leadership. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner intervened during the session, reminding MPs that political messages on clothing are not permitted in the chamber. "We have agreed and these are the clear rules of the House," Klöckner said, "that neither stickers nor any other form of denomination on T-shirts play a role." She continued, "I have asked Ms. Köktürk to change her sweater - and we did not make that public - but you apparently refuse. I would then ask you to leave the meeting. Please do so." This is not the first time Köktürk has attracted attention in parliament. On her very first day as an MP, she appeared in the Bundestag wearing a scarf resembling a Palestinian keffiyeh, prompting members of the conservative CDU to call for an official ban on such symbols. Köktürk later took to X to respond to the incident, writing: "Germany will continue to supply weapons to Israel. Not a word about over 50,000 dead and injured children. I am being asked by Mrs. Klöckner to leave the plenary hall because my shirt says 'Palestine.' You have all failed so badly." While the Bundestag does not have a detailed dress code, its rules require MPs and visitors to dress "in keeping with the prestige" of the institution. Enforcement of this standard is left to the discretion of the session chair. Past incidents suggest the issue is not limited to any one party or political leaning. In 2017, a 13-year-old girl visiting the Bundestag on a school trip was asked at security to zip up her "Refugees Welcome" sweatshirt to conceal the slogan. And in 2009, a student was stopped for wearing a T-shirt reading "Make love, not war." More recently, MP Marcel Bauer was twice expelled from the plenary chamber for refusing to remove a black beret, which was deemed inappropriate. Both Klöckner and Bundestag Vice President Andrea Lindholz (CSU) ordered him to follow the parliament's dress norms or leave. These recurring incidents reflect an ongoing debate in German politics over how far personal expression and political symbolism should be allowed within the halls of parliament. The EU steel sector was on high alert on Wednesday following the implementation of 50% US tariffs on steel and aluminium, a move that might divert global steel imports formerly heading to the US towards the EU. "With the doubling of US blanket tariffs on steel to 50% without exceptions, we expect massive deflection of the 27 million tonnes of steel previously destined for the US towards the European market,' director general of the European Steel Association (EUROFER) Axel Eggert warned in a statement. 'We are being flooded by cheap foreign steel,' he added, 'without swift action, we will not just be underwater — we will drown.' Kerstin Maria Rippel, the chief executive of the German Steel Federation said the 50% tariffs marked 'a new level of escalation' in the EU-US trade conflict. 'A 50-percent tariff on steel exports is a massive burden on our industry, as it will increase pressure on an economy already in crisis and will impact our steel sector in multiple ways,' Rippel said. On Monday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order, which the White House shared on X, claiming that the rise of tariffs on steel and aluminium would 'provide greater support' to US industries, and would 'eliminate the national security threat' posed by imported steel and aluminium. Last March, Trump had re-established tariffs on steel and aluminium, which were initially imposed in 2018 and 2020 under his first mandate. The steel sector has already been struggling with Chinese overcapacities flooding the EU market, but since the US imposed tariffs across the globe the bloc is facing overcapacities from multiple countries. Import penetration in the EU is up to 30% in 2025 in a context of depressed demand, Eggert claimed. In Brussels, the pressure has intensified following Trump's increased tariffs at a time when the EU seeks to negotiate a resolution to its trade dispute with the US. 'The 50% tariffs have clearly not helped the negotiations at all,' said one EU diplomat. On Wednesday, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič acknowledged in an X post that the two sides 'are advancing in the right direction at pace', and are 'staying in close contact to maintain the momentum', following his meeting with his US counterpart, Jamieson Greer in Paris on the sidelines of an OECD trade ministerial. But quizzed by journalists later in the day, Šefčovič said he 'strongly' regretted Trump's latest 50% tariffs on steel and aluminium, adding: 'It doesn't help, especially as we are making progress.' A group of EU high-level experts, including Tomás Baert, trade advisor to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, has been in Washington since Monday to negotiate the technical details that could help the EU and the US break the deadlock. Besides the 50% tariffs on steel and aluminium, the EU is also facing a 25% tariff on cars and a 10% levy on all other imports. The US also has launched several investigations into pharma, semiconductors and aircrafts that could lead to further tariffs. Trump has further threatened to impose a 50% tariff on all EU goods as of 9 July if the negotiations fail to meet his expectations. The US and the EU exchanged proposals two weeks ago, but both sides have dismissed the other's offers. The EU offered a deal of zero-for-zero tariffs on all industrial goods and purchase of strategic products such as US energy, tech and agri-products, whereas the US expected the EU to review some of its regulations.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
German parliament to fly rainbow flag on Saturday - but not on Pride
The German parliament will fly a rainbow flag on Saturday to mark the international day against homophobia, but the symbol for the queer community will not be seen during Berlin Pride celebrations. The flag will be hoisted on May 17, a date which Julia Klöckner - the president of Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag - on Friday called crucial in the fight "against discrimination and for the acceptance of the diversity and equality of all people." The date, formally known as International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, was chosen to mark the World Health Organization's 1990 decision to remove homosexuality from its classification of diseases. "I have also decided that this will be the only occasion and that a corresponding flag will not also be flown on Christopher Street Day, which, as a day of assembly, protest and celebration, thrives on its powerful presence on the streets," Klöckner added. The term Christopher Street Day (CSD) is used in Germany to refer to Pride celebrations for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT+) community. It is a reference to the location of the Stonewall Inn in New York City's Greenwich Village neighbourhood, where a protest against police discrimination on June 28, 1969, kick-started the gay liberation movement. The Reichstag building - which houses the Bundestag - first flew the rainbow flag to mark CSD in 2022. Former Bundestag president Bärbel Bas said raising the flag would show a commitment to diversity.
