The debate about growth in Europe is in full swing - with more and more talk of growth, rather than austerity. In Germany, many say growth can only be found through structural reform - such as labour market reforms passed by Gerhard Schröder's government a decade ago. These so-called Hartz reforms are widely credited with gradually reducing unemployment - but many say they have caused problems as well, with low paid part-time jobs becoming the norm.
As rumours surface of a plot by European conservative leaders to shun French Socialist presidential hopeful François Hollande, we ask how well he will be able to work with his German counterparts if he is elected.
German President Christian Wulff, an ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, has announced his resignation amid an escalating scandal over allegations he received favours before becoming head of state.
Douglas Herbert speaks to Jacqueline Hénard, a writer and expert on Franco-German relations. Is the German public's impatience with cash-strapped neighbours like Greece killing their political leaders' creative vision? Just as the eurozone debt crisis offers Germany a chance to showcase its new leadership, many Germans resent the pressure and the responsibility.
Will Angela Merkel's government survive 2012? That will depend largely on the fate of the euro, as well as the management of a coalition on the verge of collapse and a recent home loan scandal involving Germany's president. An upcoming election in Schleswig-Holstein may also be a decisive factor as to whether the Conservative-Liberal coalition makes it through the New Year. Anne Mailliet and Brice Boussouar report.
There are growing calls for the European Central Bank to use its financial resources to douse the continent's debt crisis. Mario Draghi and his predecessor Jean-Claude Trichet have so far been reticent. But speaking in the European Parliament, Draghi was seen to open the door to bolder action.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives look headed for hefty losses in Sunday's regional elections in the city-state of Berlin. The centre-left Social Democrats are tipped to remain in control with either the Greens or the Left party.
As anti-Gaddafi fighters look to seize the former leader’s remaining strongholds, European countries eye Libya’s oil reserves. It's a favourite tourist destination for Germans, yet the Mecklenberg West Pomerania region has become a haven for far right groups. A Dutch TV game show sees illegal immigrants go head to head for cash prizes.
Polls opened Sunday in the north-eastern German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, with the ruling CDU party of Chancellor Angela Merkel hoping to stop the rot after a string of defeats in regional polls this year.
Far-right groups have been gaining support in a region of eastern Germany. The NPD party has a firm following in the area of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, despite its leader having been convicted of racial abuse. The trend has both local and national observers concerned. Our correspondent takes a closer look at the growing popularity of Germany's far-right ahead of regional elections this weekend.
