Village faces investigation over anti-refugee Tiger tank

Shocked carnivalgoers at the Fasching celebration watched as the tank – in reality a car with a cardboard structure built on top of it – rolled through the town of Steinkirchen bei Pfaffenhofen. As well as the anti-refugee slogans, the fake tank also bore the Balkenkreuz symbol seen on Nazi armoured vehicles. After photos were published online, the OCV Steinkirchen association, which organizes the parade, faced a hail of criticism. But they insisted that there were no far-right tendencies Read more [...]

Horst Seehofer: From Bavaria to The Kremlin

The trip has coincided with dwindling public support for Chancellor Merkel and her open-door policy to migrants, and it also comes at a time when the anti-Russian sanctions are increasingly being seen as unpopular. Mr. Seehofer’s trip is important both for the context that was mentioned and because the state he represents is one of Germany’s most significant in terms of geography, population, and economic output. Also, despite nominally being a coalition ally of Chancellor Merkel, Read more [...]

How Bavarian PM’s Moscow Visit Built Bridges Over Merkel’s Walls

While Bavarian Premier Horst Seehofer's visit to Moscow was criticized, the practice itself is pretty ordinary for German regional leaders, according to German diplomacy veteran Horst Teltschik. Teltschik was foreign policy advisor to former Chancellor Helmut Kohl during a 20-year career with the Christian Democrats (CSU/CDU) and later head of the Munich Security Conference from 1999 to 2008. After leaving party politics in 1991, Teltschik served on the board of BMW and as head of one Read more [...]

10 quick snippets on how Karnataka-Germany relations have achieved a new high

It is said that Germany ranks eighth in the list of India’s top import partners with India exporting $ 7.7 billion worth of goods to the country. Holding such strong relations with Europe’s seventh largest country, Karnataka chose to probe further on how the two countries can be of mutual benefit to the larger ecosystem at ‘Invest Karnataka 2016’. Today, Karnataka is a major playing ground for eight of Germany’s biggest companies like Bosch and Siemens, according Read more [...]

Merkel’s coalition rival urges dismantling of anti-Russia sanctions after visiting Putin

“Extending anti-Russia sanctions was a mistake,” said Seehofer, referring to the EU’s decision to prolong travel restrictions and economic embargoes against Russian individuals and companies over Ukraine late last year. “We need to consider the reality – they cannot be removed straight away. But we can deploy political means to repeal them… I think that they can be revoked in the foreseeable future.”Journalists returned to the subject of sanctions repeatedly as Seehofer spent an hour Read more [...]

EU Court Slams German Gambling ‘Monopoly’

     (CN) - Germany cannot penalize a woman for running an unlicensed sports-betting scheme for an Austrian company as long as German authorities continue to allow an illegal gaming monopoly, the EU high court ruled Thursday.     German authorities charged Sebat Ince with running an unlicensed sports-betting scheme, using a machine installed in a sports bar in Bavaria. Ince's machine collected bets for an Austrian company which was also not licensed to do business in Germany.     For Read more [...]

The mad king of Bavaria

“Mad” King Ludwig II of Bavaria (August 25, 1845-June 13, 1886) was called the Schwan Konig (Swan King) or the Marchenkonig (Fairy Tale King). He succeeded to the throne when he was 18 years old and immediately became involved in a war with Prussia which he lost. After the Franco-Prussian War, Ludwig withdrew from all state affairs, exploring instead extravagant artistic and architectural projects. Ludwig admired how the French glorified their culture through architecture, art and music. It was Read more [...]

Prime Minister of Bavaria: EU sanctions to be lifted in foreseeable future

The sanctions imposed by the European Union against Russia will be lifted after the Ukrainian crisis is resolved, and this will happen in the foreseeable future, says Horst Seerhofer, Prime Minister of Bavaria. "The sanctions will be lifted in the foreseeable future. Yesterday I said clearly: Kyiv has obligations, Moscow has obligations," he told reporters in Moscow when asked what he said about the sanctions to Russian President Vladimir Putin at their meeting on Feb. 3. Life after sanctions: Read more [...]

Putin, Bavaria PM discuss sanctions, business — Kremlin

MOSCOW, February 4. /TASS/. Anti-Russia sanctions were on the agenda of President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with the prime minister of the German federal land of Bavaria, Horst Seehofer, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. "The Russian side spoke about the interest of our entrepreneurs in keeping the existing contracts with Bavarian business, as well irrationality and harmfulness of sanctions for Russian and Bavarian businessmen," Peskov said. He Read more [...]

Bavaria plans to boost business ties with Russia

Seehofer said his visit concentrated primarily on improving the economic interests of local businesses in his state. The Bavarian leader stressed that it was his duty to represent interests of the region, as 20 percent of Russian-German trade is with Bavaria.READ MORE: Germany West need Russia to settle Syria and refugee crises - Bavarian leader"The dialogue must not stop. Russia is a very important trading partner for us," he said as quoted by Deutsche Welle.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Read more [...]