Politics of Germany

In a post on Twitter in Greek and German, Germany's new ambassador in Athens, Ernst Reichel, announced his arrival.

Reichel, who said "Hello Greece!" in both Greek and Germany, previously served as Germany's ambassador to Ukraine and as the head of the German Foreign Ministry's office for Southeastern Europe and Turkey.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that she feels "very well", immediately after she was seen trembling for the third time during public ceremony in less than a month.
"I feel good, there is no need to worry", Chancellor stated who will turn 65 in a week.

The European Union's statistics agency says more than 300,000 people were granted asylum within the bloc last year, a drop of almost 40 percent from 2017.
Eurostat said Thursday that around 333,400 people were deemed eligible for international protection, most of them Syrians, Afghans or Iraqis fleeing conflict or persecution.

AGERPRES special correspondent Florentina Peia reports: President Klaus Iohannis, addressing on Saturday the Munich Security Conference, said that the multilateral international system is under increasing pressure, pointing out that cohesion is the response to this situation, and the major goal should be an Enhanced European Engagement.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Jan. 19 she would do all she could to make sure Britain leaves the European Union with an agreement and, striking a conciliatory tone, she felt a responsibility to get an orderly solution.

A protester destroys the wreath that German Chancellor Angela Merkel laid earlier in the day at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, during a teachers' demonstration outside of the Greek Parliament, in Athens, Friday. Teachers protested against a new law regulating for the appointment/hiring of permanent teaching staff. The rally took place a few hours after Merkel's visit to Athens. [EPA]

"No matter how much pressure Mrs Merkel were to exercise on Kyriakos Mitsotakis, he would not change his mind over the Prespes agreement," a spokesman for opposition New Democracy, Lefteris Avgenakis, said on Friday following a meeting between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the head of Greece's main opposition party.

Protesters clash with riot police during a demonstration against the visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Athens, Thursday. [Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters]

A total of 2,000 police officers are to be deployed across Athens for a two-day visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel starting on Thursday afternoon.

Ahead of a two-day visit to Athens starting on Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has expressed her support for Greece and the country's reform effort in an exclusive statement to Kathimerini, saying that the country can "continue to count on its partnership and friendship with Germany."