The Germans have massively lost market share. The downturn in the EV segment and a fierce price war are weighing on sales. Will the car show in Shanghai bring a comeback? Observers are skeptical.
By Jörn Petring
The CDU and Ursula von der Leyen have never been a love affair. The politician is too strict and self-confident, and many in her party find her too brisk and independent. That has not changed under Friedrich Merz. And yet it is clear that even the CDU under Merz would not be against it if von der Leyen would run again in the 2024 European elections.
By Redaktion Table
Spain's bloc of leftist parties that keeps Pedro Sánchez in power is beginning to crumble. The candidacy of Yolanda Díaz and her newly formed Sumar platform in the upcoming parliamentary elections is taking votes from the Socialist Sánchez and Podemos, which is increasingly becoming a residual party.
By Isabel Cuesta Camacho
His predecessor Bolsonaro got along well with Donald Trump and showed reservations toward China. But Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has a different plan for his country and is courting the leadership in Beijing. Xi Jinping thanks him with much pomp and calls him a "good old friend" in Beijing.
By Jörn Petring
"We will not remain competitive if we cut ourselves off from China," says Claudia Barkowsky, the Managing Director of the Representative Office of the German Engineering Federation VDMA in China. Speaking with Frank Sieren, the sinologist talks about the success of Chinese machine manufacturers in Germany, the new challenges Germans face in China and how the industry is adapting to them.
By Frank Sieren
On the second day of her trip, Annalena Baerbock addresses clear words to her hosts. With success. There was a verbal exchange of blows on the subject of human rights. However, the German foreign minister managed to extract a clear commitment from the Chinese leadership on the issue of Russia.
By Michael Radunski
Disposable e-cigarettes have conquered the German market in 2022. The disposable product now has a market share of more than 60 percent. But the Battery Regulation means they will be gone by the end of 2026, so the industry is planning to make re-usable e-cigarettes more attractive.
By Markus Grabitz
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Norway and Germany have been moving closer together. In an interview with Annette Bruhns and Stefan Braun, Torgeir Larsen, Ambassador in Berlin, talks about joint energy supply, CO2 storage and the guilty conscience of making money from gas.
By Redaktion Table
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is spending two days in China. The first stop is Tianjin. In the port city, both sides are striving for exchange and cooperation. The tricky part of her China trip is scheduled for Friday in Beijing.
By Michael Radunski
Following Deka, the Union Investment fund company could also kick Volkswagen securities from its sustainability segment. At the annual general meeting in May, the Volkswagen board will in any case have to respond to allegations of forced labor along its Xinjiang supply chains. A Uyghur representative will personally step to the podium.
By Marcel Grzanna
