_GERMANY SLIDER

Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier has been re-elected for a second term as the President of Germany. The Federal Assembly confirmed the 66-year-old Social Democrat in Berlin on Sunday with a large majority. He will thus remain Germany’s head of state for another five years. After his re-election, Steinmeier gave a combative speech in which he emphasised the strength of democracy, condemned …

The number of foreign students in Germany continues to rise even during the pandemic, a new report by the Academic Exchange Service reveals —- Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the number of foreign students in Germany has apparently increased. As the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) announced in Bonn on Tuesday, according to a survey-based forecast, between 330,000 and 350,000 …

Like at the beginning of every new month in Germany, new regulations come into force in February. These affect, among others, deadline for the submission of tax returns, validity of the EU vaccination certificate and new rules on hate online. Here’s overview of the most important changes: ——– Validity of EU vaccination certificates From 1 February, the validity of EU …

The minimum wage and Hartz IV rate will rise in the new year just as postage rates and the prices of petrol and diesel will go up. New regulations on plastic shopping bags and beverage cans and plastic bottles enter into effect as well. Here are some of the changes most likely to affect most people living in Germany —– …

Maisha – African Women in Germany e.V. recently celebrated 25 years of its existence in Frankfurt. Maisha, which means “life” in Swahili, is a self-help organisation of African women in Germany founded in 1996 by Virginia Wangare Greiner. The occasion, attended by members as well as friends and partners of the organisation, was a milestone for self-organisation in the African …

In his first government declaration, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, following up on his election campaign promises, announced plans to make naturalisation easier and create more opportunities for more participation in society for people with a migration background. Germany is a country of immigration, now it must now become an even better country of integration, he added. —— Chancellor Olaf Scholz has …

The labour force in Germany, the number of people who are potentially available to the country’s labour market, will decline in the long term due to demographic changes. Even with an increasing labour force participation rate of women and older people and an annual net immigration of 100,000 people, the labour force will decline from 47.4 million in 2020 to …

From 1 November 2021, a series of new laws and changes to the law that affect our daily lives, will come into force. Among these are higher penalties for traffic offences, Christmas market season begin, big-discount day for shoppers and the deadline for changing vehicle insurance, among others. We have summarised for you the important changes from 1 November 2021 here:

The city of Bad Dürkheim, the heartland of the wine-producing region of southwest Germany, and its Carnival Society “Derkemer Grawler” have named Togbe Céphas Bansah as the Golden Winemaker 2022. The Ghanaian traditional ruler is being honoured for “realising many aid projects and thus in fact improving the living conditions of his people”, the Carnival Society said in a press …

African Mums in Deutschland, a support group for African women in Germany founded by Maame Adwoa Dentaa Amoo, has been announced as one of the winners of the 2021 Facebook Community Accelerator Program. The Community Accelerator is part of Facebook’s Community Leadership Program, a global initiative that invests in people building online communities. The Program helps leaders harness the power …

The new German federal parliament is more diverse than ever. For the first time, there are four Afro-German members in the Bundestag, as well as more women, younger people and people with a migration background. Three of the Afro-German politicians won direct mandates, which means they won the highest number of votes cast in their constituencies. “Four Afro-Germans in the …

Awet Tesfaiesus has become the first Black woman to be elected into the German parliament. The 47-year-old lawyer achieved the feat on Sunday when she was elected on the platform of the Green Party to represent the state of Hesse. The Eritrean-born politician has been the spokesperson for integration and equality for the Green parliamentary group in the Kassel city …

Dr Karamba Diaby, representing the eastern German constituency of Halle (Saxony-Anhalt), has won his third election into the German parliament (Bundestag). The Senegalese-born member of the SPD, who won a direct mandate on Sunday, took to social media to thank his supporters for the resounding victory. “What an evening! “I am still overwhelmed by the great trust that the people …

After a tightly fought race, the Social Democrats emerged winners at Germany’s general election on Sunday. According to preliminary results, the SPD finished the strongest party, closely followed by the CDU/CSU. The Greens are in third place, followed by the FDP and AfD. The Left Party plunged to below five per cent. The SPD won 25.7 per cent of the …

Choosing which party to vote for in a German election could be a difficult task with 47 of them contesting the polls this year. Here's a free question-and-answer online tool that finds out which party is most likely to represent your interests

Germans will go to the polls on 26 September 2021 to vote for a new Bundestag, the lower house of the federal parliament, which is elected every four years by free, secret and direct ballot. A special report by The African Courier on the election: ——— The BundestagThe Bundestag is the elected representation of the German people. And being vested …

The General Consulate of Nigeria in Frankfurt has announced its resumption of processing of passport. In a press release published on its website, the consulate said: “This is to notify all passport applicants that processing of passport has resumed at the Consulate General of Nigeria in Frankfurt.Applicants are requested to send all required application documents via Email: nis.frankfurt@gmail.com.Appointment date and …

“Voting me into parliament has made it possible for me to pursue my goal of initiating a centre dedicated to Africans in Hamburg. The State of Hamburg has now granted 4 million euros until 2026 to set up an African Community Centre in the city,”

German Africa Prize 2021 has been awarded to Ethiopian human rights activist Daniel Bekele. The Prize is awarded annually by the German Africa Foundation (Deutsche Afrika Stiftung e.V. or DAS) to “outstanding individuals for their long-standing endeavours to foster democracy, peace, human rights, art, culture, the social market economy and social concerns” in Africa. An independent 24-member jury of experts …

As the campaign for Germany’s general election on 26 September hots up, a leader in the Nigerian community in Germany has spoken out in support of Olaf Scholz, the chancellor candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). In an interview with the Africa Service of German international broadcaster DW, Kenneth Gbandi, a former president of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Germany, …