Christian Kraemer

Rising prices are putting German workers under pressure, threatening to escalate wage disputes, the head of one of the country's top trade unions has warned.

The chancellor denied trying to ram through his policy agenda by delaying holding an election.

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner asked his partners on Tuesday to make their own proposals on economic policy after the budgetary package his party floated last week brought Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition to the brink of collapse.

German coalition must find joint response to economic malaise, finance minister says

Chancellor Olaf Scholz, his ministers demonstrate the growing dysfunction within the coalition.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to deepen defence ties with New Delhi and bring the two countries' militaries closer, he said on Friday, after meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz leads a high-level delegation to New Delhi this week, betting that greater access to the vast Indian market can reduce Germany's reliance on Beijing even if India does not turn out to be the "new China".

The German government has earmarked up to 2.8 billion euros ($3.1 billion) to support 15 industrial companies in their bid to decarbonise under its first round of "climate protection contracts", the economy ministry said on Tuesday.

Thyssenkrupp must quickly fix the crisis surrounding at its steel unit, including creating clarity around a 3 billion euro ($3.3 billion) green steel project co-funded by the government, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Wednesday.

A top German official criticised UniCredit's surprise swoop on Commerzbank as 'aggressive' and 'unwise' on Wednesday, cautioning of the risk posed by a hostile takeover and reiterating the government's determination to fend it off.