German Lutherans

Most Germans do not want Christian Democrat (CDU) leader Armin Laschet to try to form a government after his conservative bloc suffered huge losses in parliamentary elections, recent  public opinion polls indicated on Tuesday, as dpa reported.

Germany is headed for weeks, if not months, of protracted coalition haggling as Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives insisted on Sept. 27 on trying to form a government even after losing to the Social Democrats in a tight race.

Germany braced for a period of political unpredictability on Sept. 27 after the Social Democrats narrowly won a general election but faced a rival claim to power from outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative camp.

Turkey and Germany have special relations due to the millions of Turks who immigrated 60 years ago, German social democrat politician Olaf Scholz told daily Hürriyet in an interview days before the Bundestag elections that will end the 16-year rule of Christian Democrat Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Germany's credibility was always high in the Western Balkans, much of it due to Merkel, whose Germany has been crucial to shaping the debate on EU enlargement to the region.

However, in order to maintain this credibility, the next German government will have to adapt to new challenges and circumstances pertaining to the region.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is to give her annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament on Wednesday in the French city of Strasbourg. Likely talking points include her proposals to help tackle the climate crisis - set out in July - and frozen efforts to reform the bloc's migration system could also feature in her speech, dpa reported.

It's in the European Union's strategic interests to integrate the Balkan states into the bloc, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday as she urged Serbia and other countries in the region to do more on democratic reforms in order to join, AP reported.

She was escorted from the Belgrade airport by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vui.
A photo of Vui saying goodbye to Merkel was published on the Instagram profile of "buducnostsrbijeav".

Preparations for her reception are nearing the end, and as part of this visit, the flags of Germany and Serbia were set up at the Genex building in New Belgrade, from the direction of the "Nikola Tesla" Airport, so that this would be the first sign of welcome for the German Chancellor.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's last trip abroad should take her to the Balkans. The media mention the meeting with the leaders of the Western Balkans in Tirana (September 14), but it is unofficially heard that the Chancellor could visit Belgrade beforehand. There is no official confirmation in Berlin yet.