Angela Merkel

Public opinion plays a role in democracies. The extent to which polls influence the political decision-making process is a matter of dispute among experts. This applies to domestic politics, and also to foreign policy making. A majority of Greeks have a negative opinion of Germany. This is confirmed by several recent polls.

World-renowned conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim said on Jan. 6 he was stepping down as general musical director of Berlin's State Opera due to deteriorating health, marking the end of an era at the fabled institution.

A year ago, then chancellor Angela Merkel visited Athens, on October 28. Olaf Scholz chose the eve of the national holiday, which refers to the most traumatic chapter of Greek-German relations: the Occupation in World War II. The memory must be cultivated, but this chapter is closed, says the social democratic chancellor, like his predecessors, for Greek claims that are still on the table.

As reported by Jutarnji list, at that meeting, which was not ordinary, Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine were mostly discussed as the crisis hotspots at that time.
The NATO summit at that time was, namely, different because then US President Donald Trump made harsh criticisms regarding the funding of the Alliance, as well as Germany's dependence on Russian energy.

German-French relations are shaken, and this is indicated by the cancellation of the planned meeting of the governments of the two countries, assesses the Viennese daily "Standard".
The newspaper said French President Emmanuel Macron canceled a meeting with the German government, which was supposed to be the first of its kind between the two countries.

President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vui, is participating in the summit.
Croatian President Zoran Milanovi and Slovenian President Borut Pahor welcome the guests.
Vjosa Osmani also arrived. The members of the BiH Presidency efik Daferovi, Milorad Dodik and eljko Komi are also present. Immediately after them came the President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovi.

Europe will struggle this winter as Russia has choked off the supplies of natural gas that the continent depended on for years, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said.

"This winter will not be easy for Europe. It will be a very troubled winter. It will be a very heavy winter financially," Erdoğan told journalists on his presidential plane on his way back from Croatia on Sept. 8.

Germany has said it would keep two nuclear plants on standby beyond the end of the year in a policy U-turn, as the shut-off of Russian gas supplies sends Europe scrambling for energy sources.    

Ljubljana – Prime Minister Robert Golob will be on a working visit to Berlin on Tuesday to meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in what will be his first bilateral visit abroad. They will talk current issues and further cooperation between Slovenia and Germany.

Ljubljana – Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon will visit Berlin on Friday to meet her counterpart Annalena Baerbock. Fajon’s first bilateral visit will focus on the crisis in Ukraine, as well as bilateral cooperation, the EU and the Western Balkans, the Foreign Ministry said ahead of the trip.