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POLITICS

Germany’s Free Democrats pave way for Scholz-led government

Germany's incoming coalition cleared a new hurdle on Sunday with the Free Democrats (FDP) approving an alliance with the centre-left SPD and ecologist Greens to replace Angela Merkel's government.

Germany's Free Democratic Party (FDP) leader Christian Lindner
Germany's Free Democratic Party (FDP) leader Christian Lindner attends the extraordinary German Free Democrats (FDP) party congress to approve the coalition deal in Berlin, Germany on December 5th, 2021. Adam BERRY / AFP

The green light from 92.2 percent of around 660 FDP delegates came a day after the SPD waved through the deal during their own congress. The Greens are expected to publish the results of their membership vote on Monday.

With the agreement expected to sail through too on Monday, parliament is getting ready to formally elect the SPD’s Olaf Scholz as chancellor on Wednesday.

Urging his FDP to back the deal, party leader Christian Lindner said the coalition agreement would bring about a “new departure in Germany”.

“Germany is waiting for this new departure,” stressed Lindner, who is poised to become finance minister.

Under their roadmap for Germany, the three parties want to bring forward an end to coal to 2030 from 2038. They also plan to put 15 million electric cars on the road by 2030, and ramp up the building of new homes to keep housing costs affordable.

At the same time, they are aiming to return to the country’s no new debt rule by 2023, after the sacrosanct policy was lifted to allow the government to borrow billions to finance its way out of the coronavirus pandemic.

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PROTESTS

Clashes mar rally against far right in north-west France

Riot police clashed with demonstrators in the north-western French city of Rennes on Thursday in the latest rally against the rise of the far-right ahead of a national election this month.

Clashes mar rally against far right in north-west France

The rally ended after dozens of young demonstrators threw bottles and other projectiles at police, who responded with tear gas.

The regional prefecture said seven arrests were made among about 80 people who took positions in front of the march through the city centre.

The rally was called by unions opposed to Marine Le Pen’s far-right Rassemblement National party (RN), which is tipped to make major gains in France’s looming legislative elections. The first round of voting is on June 30.

“We express our absolute opposition to reactionary, racist and anti-Semitic ideas and to those who carry them. There is historically a blood division between them and us,” Fabrice Le Restif, regional head of the FO union, one of the organisers of the rally, told AFP.

Political tensions have been heightened by the rape of a 12-year-old Jewish girl in a Paris suburb, for which two 13-year-old boys have been charged. The RN has been among political parties to condemn the assault.

Several hundred people protested against anti-Semitism and ‘rape culture’ in Paris in the latest reaction.

Dominique Sopo, president of anti-racist group SOS Racisme, said it was “an anti-Semitic crime that chills our blood”.

Hundreds had already protested on Wednesday in Paris and Lyon amid widespread outrage over the assault.

The girl told police three boys aged between 12 and 13 approached her in a park near her home in the Paris suburb of Courbevoie on Saturday, police sources said.

She was dragged into a shed where the suspects beat and raped her, “while uttering death threats and anti-Semitic remarks”, one police source told AFP.

France has the largest Jewish community of any country outside Israel and the United States.

At Thursday’s protest, Arie Alimi, a lawyer known for tackling police brutality and vice-president of the French Human Rights League, said voters had to prevent the far-right from seizing power and “installing a racist, anti-Semitic and sexist policy”.

But he also said he was sad to hear, “anti-Semitic remarks from a part of those who say they are on the left”.

President Emmanuel Macron called the elections after the far-right thrashed his centrist alliance in European Union polls. The far-right and left-wing groups have accused each other of being anti-Semitic.

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