Crisis Chronology

GERMANY

11/15/2023

Court rules that transferring €60 from unused COVID-19 fun ds to other uses is illegal. This will create a significant budget shortfall. Legislature considering revising self-imposed borrowing limits.

05/21/2023

Germany and South Korea sign defense cooperation agreement as buffer against North Korea.

03/28/2023

Widespread strike by two largest transport unions paralyzes trains and airplanes.

03/28/2023

Germany delivers Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

02/16/2023

A senior official in the BND, Germany’s foreign intelligence service, is arrested for espionage with Russia. This arrest follows that other suspected Russian operatives in the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Poland and Slovenia as western countries mount an offensive against Russian espionage.

01/25/2023

Poland formally asks Germany for permission to transfer Leopard-1 tanks to Ukraine.

01/25/2023

Both US and Germany reported to agree to send Leopard and Abrams tanks to Ukraine. There is widespread opinion that the decision shows a broader desire to support the Ukraine war effort for the long term.

01/25/2023

Poland formally asks Germany for permission to transfer Leopard-1 tanks to Ukraine.

01/22/2023

German FM Baerbock says that Germany will not block Poland sending Leopard-1 tanks to Ukraine. The Germans still insist they will not send their tanks until the US agrees to send M-1 Abrams tanks, which the US says are not feasible for Ukraine because they use jet fuel. This turned out not to be correct.

01/18/2023

Continuing resistance from Germany about sending its own Leopard-1 tanks to Ukraine. It says that it will only send Leopards if the US sends its Abrams battle tanks. Denmark says it will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine.

01/16/2023

Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht resigns after a series of minor personal missteps but especially a loss of confidence in her by the military.

01/11/2023

German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck says Germany should not block Poland’s transfer of tanks to Ukraine. However, his office also says no request has been made to do so. There are also calls for Germany to send its own Leopard-1 tanks to Ukraine, but the manufacturer says new tanks will not be ready until 2024.

01/10/2023

Poland agrees to send thirty German-made tanks to Ukraine if Germany agrees to the transfer. Eventually Germany does so.

11/23/2022

Germany will draw down its troops in the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali.

11/18/2022

Nordstream leaks determined to be sabotage by a Swedish investigation.

10/27/2022

German Prime Minster Scholz and French President Macron avoid their other European-centric differences and protest US policies of prioritizing domestic purchasing in the Buy American program announced by the US.

10/09/2022

In voting today, Scholz’s Social Democrats win the largest share of regional government voting in Lower Saxony. However, their coalition partner the Free Democrats do not even gain representation. The AfD gains strongly.

10/09/2022

Sabotage halts rail traffic in the north. Attacker is unknown.

09/29/2022

Fourth leak in Nord Stream pipelines. Putin calls for investigation into “international terrorism.”

09/21/2022

Government becomes largest shareholder in natural gas importer Uniper, essentially nationalizing it. The company has used up much of its cash reserves during the Ukrainian war crisis.

08/18/2022

Scholz to face renewed questioning over financial deal in Hamburg when he was mayor there.

08/12/2022

Germany suspends its military reconnaissance and transport operations in Mali after one of their planes is denied departure.

07/25/2022

Russia says it will reduce gas supply to Germany.

07/21/2022

Russia restarts gas flow in Nordstream I pipeline.

07/11/2022

Russia halts flow of gas in Nordstream pipeline, ostensibly for maintenance work that will last for ten days.

05/15/2022

Christian Democratic Union wins parliamentary election in Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, an upset for the ruling Socialists.

04/26/2022

Russia expels forty German diplomats in retaliation for a similar action by Germany.

04/13/2022

Presidents Duda of Poland, Giatanas Nauseda of Lithuania, Egils Levits of Latvia, and Alex Karis of Estonia meet President Zelensky in Kyiv. A request to visit bv German President Steinhauer was rejected, due to what Ukraine considers a hesitant and tepid response to Ukraine’s request for arms and supplies by Germany, and its continued acceptance of Russian oil and gas.

04/04/2022

German government seizes German unit of Russian oil company Gazprom and puts it in state trusteeship. The government says that Gazprom Germania was acquired by JSC Palmary and Gazprom export businesses, but that if the new owners are not from the EU and “critical infrastructures” are involved, the transfer of ownership is illegal.

03/21/2022

Qatar signs agreement to provide Germany with natural gas.

02/27/2022

With the invasion of Ukraine going badly, Putin puts his defensive nuclear weapons on alert, accusing NATO of threatening moves, which he seems to have invented. There is increasing support to Ukraine by countries in Europe. Germany doubles its military defense budget, breaking decades of traditional reluctance to arm, and authorizes military weapons and other aid to Ukraine. Sweden moves beyond its usual non-aligned position to provide military aid to Ukraine. European nations and many others deny Russia access to their airspace for any flights. Several commercial flights are forced to return to Russia by circuitous routes. China advocates negotiations to end the war. Russia is increasingly isolated in the world, but that also increases fears that Putin, who is not acting in Russia’s best interests, will respond even more aggressively.

02/22/2022

Germany freezes the Nordstream 2 gas pipeline, Chancellor Scholz says that the government will ensure that the pipeline, which is completed, is never certified.

01/28/2022

French President Macron and Russian President Putin discuss the situation in Ukraine by phone. US and Russia also continue discussions. Many believe that Putin will not take any military action until after the Olympics in China are over, mid-February. US President Biden to meet with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to discuss increasing natural gas shipments to Europe, including Germany, to compensate for possible cutoff of shipments by Russia, a key worry of Europeans about any military response to Russian aggression in Ukraine. US subsequently name Qatar a major non-NATO ally, giving it special military and economic privileges.

01/25/2022

French President Macron and German PM Scholz discuss unified EU reaction to the Ukraine situation.

12/27/2021

Iran says it is ready to begin nuclear pact discussions again and to continue them until a deal is reached.

12/17/2021

Friedreich Merz is elected head of the CDU.

12/11/2021

EU-Iran talks on nuclear agreement continue.

12/08/2021

Scholz is elected chancellor. His immediate problem is the surge in COVID-19 cases due to the delta variant, the highest since last winter.

11/29/2021

Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the UK begin talks to restore the JPCOA. Iran continues to require lifting of US sanctions before substantive talks can begin, but says it seeks a “fair deal.”

11/24/2021

Social Democrats, Greens, and Free Democrats announce agreement on a coalition to be led by SD Olaf Scholz, determining him as next chancell

11/15/2021

Amid rising tensions between Russia and the West, including crises in Ukraine and Belarus, a German agency withholds certification of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline. The agency requires an operating company that conforms to German law. The pipeline was built by the Swiss-based Nord Stream 2 AG.

11/12/2021

Record daily increase in COVID-19 cases.

10/17/2021

Greens vote to begin negotiations with the SDU and the FDP for forming a government.

10/12/2021

Moderate leader of AfD Jörg Methuen steps down after election losses, giving opportunities to the more radical wing of the party.

10/07/2021

Ireland drops its objection to tax reform, agreeing to increase tax rate on large multinational companies based in Ireland. Estonia also approves the global tax rate agreement, so all 38 members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development have agreed to the new tax rate.

10/05/2021

Russian oil company Gazprom cuts oil supplies to EU via Belarus and Poland by 70% and via Ukraine by 20% to counter US-German plan to reduce EU dependence on Russia for energy.

09/26/2021

Ruling coalition unseated

In voting today, Social Democrats (SPD) win a narrow plurality with 25.7% of the overall vote and 206 seats. The CDU coalition wins 24.1% (196 seats) and the Greens 14.8%, a disappointing outcome for them, although they gained seats overall, winning 118. The free-market Free Democrats won 11.5% and 92 seats. The AfD lost overall share and won 83 seats. Analysts predict a long process of negotiation to build a governing coalition. The likely combination will be the SPD, the Greens and the Free Democrats, but policy differences, especially between the latter two, will make for friction. It is also possible that the CDU could form a coalition with the Greens and the FD, but it seems less likely.

09/03/2021

Three weeks before the parliamentary elections, the race is very close. The Social Democrats, led by Olaf Scholz, are surprisingly strong. The CDU/CSU coalition candidate Armin Laschet has failed to inspire voters, and the Green Party’s Annalena Baerbock was hurt by revelations that she had falsified her resume. However, no party is likely to gain a majority, so smaller parties such as the Free Democrats will have a voice in the formation of a government.

07/21/2021

US and Germany agree that Nord Stream 2 pipeline can continue, and that Germany will invest in Ukraine green technology and that US and Germany will work together on other initiatives to reduce Russian energy dominance in Europe.

07/15/2021

Heavy flooding across the country.

07/15/2021

Flooding in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France as well as Germany.

06/06/2021

Christian Democrats win solid majority in a regional election, holding off challenge from the Green and Alternative for Germany.

06/04/2021

G-7 nations -- Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the US -- agree to institute a global 15% tax on businesses and steps to restrict tax havens. It will take long negotiations. Nations such as Ireland benefit from the current tax laws, which allow them to be tax havens. The new rules will have to be approved by the legislatures of the participating countries. In principle, if a German company reports its profits through an Irish subsidiary, where taxes are 5%, Germany would receive 10% of those profits.

05/05/2021

The Green Party, led by charismatic Annalena Baerbock, is leading in polls for elections 9/26. The center-right coalition candidate for chancellor, Armin Laschet is less popular and the inconsistent response to the COVID-19 pandemic has undermined the coalition’s reputation for effective leadership. The Greens have also moved toward more pragmatic foreign and economic policies.

04/21/2021

Armin Laschet, premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, becomes candidate for chancellor of the CDU/CSU coalition, after coming to agreement with Markus Söder, of the CSU. Green Party leader Annalena Baerbok has been named chancellor candidate of the Green Party.

03/24/2021

Government reverses decision on Easter lockdown due to public outcry.

03/23/2021

Government orders stay-at-home restrictions for the Easter holiday, 4/1-4/5 in response to resurgence of COVID-19 due largely to variants of the virus.

01/16/2021

CDU elects Armin Laschet, a centrist most likely to continue Merkel’s policies, to be the party leader.

01/04/2021

Government debating how long to extend stay-at-home restrictions as COVID-19 continues to increase.

12/08/2020

Merkel calls for much tighter restrictions over Christmas and the early new year due to COVID-19 pandemic.

12/03/2020

Government extends restrictions due to COVID-19 into 1/21.

10/28/2020

Government orders four-week closure of bars, restaurants and other leisure sites due to COVID-19 pandemic new outbreak.

10/14/2020

Government announces tighter restrictions on gatherings and wearing face masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s surge in the country and throughout Europe.

10/07/2020

Germany reports jump in COVID-19 cases and restricts bars and restaurants.

09/09/2020

In response to the poisoning of Navalny, EU and Germany reconsidering the construction of the Nord-2 natural gas pipeline from Russia.

08/29/2020

Leaders of the Socialist party, Katja Kipping and Berndt Riexinger, leave their posts. New leaders will be chosen at the party convention in October.

06/05/2020

US orders removal of 9500 troops from Germany, likely in response to Merkel’s rejection of G-7 invitation.

05/18/2020

Germany and France propose a €543 billion recovery fund in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

05/15/2020

Economy falls into recession. Government prepares to allow more relaxation of COVID-10 restrictions, as some states have done. Germany has about 175,000 cases and 7800 deaths.

05/04/2020

Widespread anger at China in the wake of its actions on COVID-19. US, Australia calling for an investigation of how the virus originated. Germany and the UK now rethinking use of Huawei electronics.

04/30/2020

COVID-19 cases at a plateau, Germany considers that the mitigation of the virus is a success. Stay-at-home order extended to 5/6. Germany has 161,000 cases and 6500 deaths.

03/15/2020

Germany closes its borders with neighboring countries.

02/10/2020

Angela Kramp-Karrenbauer announces she will not for chancellor and will step down as party leader. She will remain head of the party until new election in the summer. She has been criticized for being unable to unite the party behind her. A recent problem with the leadership in the state of Thuringia was the last straw. Members of the CDU supported a far-right candidate, who subsequently stepped down after criticism of the process.

01/27/2020

Government confirms case of coronavirus, contracted from a visitor from China.

01/27/2020

Germany confirms its first case of COVID-19.

01/15/2020

Economy drops to 0.6%, though government showed a surplus. Brexit and a global slowdown are said to be the cause of the drop.

01/14/2020

France, Britain, and Germany begin process that would allow them to impose sanction on Iran for not following JPCOA. Iran argues that since the US has already broken the agreement, they are not liable. It is later revealed that Pres Trump threatened to impose new auto tariffs if they did not.

12/29/2019

Social Democrats elect Norbert Walter-Borjans and Saskia Esken to be co-chairs of the party. Both have been critical of the governing alliance with the Christian Democrats and may seek to renegotiate the coalition,an idea the CDU has rejected.

12/03/2019

New SPD leaders back off threat to leave the coalition and their demands that the government abandon its balanced-budget policy.

12/01/2019

AfD rejects move by its most extreme far-right wing, the Wing (Flügel), and elects a relative moderate, Jörg Meuthen as co-chair, and compromise candidate Tino Chrupalla.

11/14/2019

Legislature approves package of responses to climate change, including cutting carbon emissions by 55% by 2030.

10/27/2019

In eastern state Thuringa, the Left party remains the largest party with 31%, the first state the party has won. The far-right AfD makes strong gains and passes Merkel’s CDU for second with nearly 24%. The AfD is strong in the eastern states, though no other parties have agreed to form governing coalitions with it.

08/31/2019

AfD support grows in two state elections, though it does not gain majorities.

06/28/2019

Iran exceeds JPCOA levels of enriched uranium. All of it is low-enriched uranium, not weapons-grade. France, Germany, and the UK have initiated the “special purpose vehicle” (an SPV officially called INSTEX) that allows EU countries to circumvent US sanctions on sales to Iran.

06/02/2019

Andrea Nahles quits as head of SPD after her party loses badly in EU parliament elections.

03/26/2019

Xi, Macron, Merkel and EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker meet to discuss multilateralism.

03/11/2019

French National Assembly approves the French-German parliamentary assembly that can propose joint non-binding resolutions for the two countries, following up on the Aachen agreement of 1/19.

02/04/2019

UK, Germany, Portugal, and Spain recognize Gaidó as leader of Venezuela.

01/21/2019

France and Germany sign the Treaty of Aachen, which commits them to work together on European issues. It has been described as a move to revitalize a unified Europe.

01/21/2019

France and Germany sign the Treaty of Aachen, which commits them to work together on European issues. It has been described as a move to revitalize a unified Europe.

01/21/2019

France and Germany sign the Treaty of Aachen, which commits them to work together on European issues. It has been described as a move to revitalize a unified Europe.

01/10/2019

Germany announces support for the National Assembly to take over executive powers in Venezuela.

12/07/2018

CDU elects Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Merkel’s choice, as new leader.

11/13/2018

After Macron proposes a European army, Merkel agrees with the idea.

11/12/2018

French Pres Macron proposes a joint military force for Europe. Europe already has the European Intervention Initiative (EI2), aimed at creating a unified military force capable of taking coordinated action abroad. Finland joins the group, which includes France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Estonia, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

11/11/2018

Erdogan says that recordings of the killing of Khashoggi was issued to Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. Canadian PM Trudeau says that Canada has also heard the tapes. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian says that France has not heard the tapes and US Secretary of State Pompeo has not said he has heard the tapes.

11/11/2018

Bavarian CSU leader Horst Seehofer says that he too will resign as leader, though he will remain foreign minister.

10/28/2018

A sharp drop in support for Merkel’s CDU in Hesse state elections. The CDU falls to 27%, ahead of the SPD and the Greens, both at about 20%. The AfD wins about 14%. Merkel offers to step down as head of the CDU at the party meeting in December and not run for chancellor in 2021. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer is Merkel’s choice to succeed her, in the party, but she is not well-known generally.

10/27/2018

France. Germany. Russia. and Turkey meet to discuss Syria and agree to work toward a political process. Russia, Syria, Turkey, and Iran want the US to leave northern Syria and end its association with the YPG. Europe is angered about the US ending the nuclear and possibly destabilizing Iran’s economy and therefore nascent democratic government, and the possible increase in refugees to Europe. Assad has no interest in any change in the Syrian political structure.

10/14/2018

Christian Social Union, a sister party to the Christian Democratic Union that is a key part of the national governing coalition, loses its majority in Bavaria, though it remains the largest single party. The AfD gained substantially, but the Greens gained even more. The outcome is considered a major defeat for Merkel, and her tenure seems likely to end sooner rather than later.

10/05/2018

Germany demands that Russia end attacks on other countries.

10/02/2018

Government coalition agrees on immigration law that favors recruiting skilled labor.

09/24/2018

Germany rejects UK plan for EU exit. Overall, leaders are increasingly worried that there will be no clear plan. In the UK, there are increasing calls for a second vote on Brexit, but May remains firm that she will not call for one.

09/23/2018

In a new compromise, Maassen will become an advisor to Seehofer in the Interior Ministry. Merkel admits the situation was handled badly.

09/22/2018

Attack on a military parade in Ahvaz kills 25 people, shocking the country. Government accuses US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia of supporting Arab separatist group that is thought to have carried out the attack.

09/21/2018

SPD demands that Merkel reconsider Maassen promotion.

09/18/2018

Hans-George Maassen named deputy minister and relieved of his post of the intelligence agency BfV.

09/12/2018

Head of domestic intelligence agency (BfV) admits discussing elements of a report with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) before publication. Hans-George Maassen was also criticized for suggesting that videos of Chemnitz were fake.

08/31/2018

Germany says it will increase aid to the UN agency that supports Palestinians.

08/27/2018

Second night of confrontations between anti-immigrant neo-Nazi and pro-immigration groups in southeastern German town of Chemnitz after a man is killed by immigrants during an altercation. Chemnitz is in Saxony, a home of nationalist thinking, of the AfD and birthplace of anti-Muslim nationalist movement called Pegida (Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of the West).

08/17/2018

Germany and Greece reach agreement on the return of asylum seekers to Greece if they initially registered there. The number of such people is quite small.

07/12/2018

German court rules that Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont can be extradited to Spain, but only on charges related to misuse of public funds, not rebellion.

07/06/2018

Germany, Austria, and Italy agree to hold talks next week on how to shut down Mediterranean migration route from Africa.

07/02/2018

CDU and CSU hold talks over Seehofer’s threat and asylum policy.

07/02/2018

In a major concession to the CSU, Merkel agrees to create camps for migrants on the German border and to tighten the border with Austria. In Austria, Kurz says that the deal may force Austria to tighten border security with Slovenia and Italy.

07/02/2018

In letters sent in June, Trump demands that Germany, Canada, Belgium, and Norway and perhaps other NATO members increase their contributions to NATO, saying that the US will reconsider its troop deployment if there is no change.

07/02/2018

In a major concession to the CSU, Merkel agrees to create camps for migrants on the German border and to tighten the border with Austria. In Austria, Kurz says that the deal may force Austria to tighten border security with Slovenia and Italy.

07/01/2018

Seehofer threatens to resign over asylum policy, possibly destabilizing the government.

06/21/2018

Albania said to offer to build relocation camps for migrants seeking asylum in EU, which could meet Seehofer’s requirements. However, spokesman for PM Edi Rama denies that such talks are being held.

06/20/2018

Poland objects to French-German plan for EU, saying that it will create disadvantaged countries under the plan. Poland, for instance, would lost some share of the budget as monies shift to southern countries with high unemployment.

06/19/2018

Merkel and French Pres Macron offer plan for overall eurozone budget, an increased bailout fund, and stronger controls on migrants.

06/16/2018

Seehofer agrees to wait until the EU summit meeting at the end of June before imposing his asylum plan.

06/14/2018

Serious and prolonged disagreement between Chancellor Merkel and Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, a SCU party member, who wants to reject migrants to Germany if they have already registered in other EU states. This would violate free movement regulations in the EU. The rift threatens to split the ruling majority.

01/21/2018

Social Democrats vote in favor of coalition talks.

01/17/2018

Turkey and Germany resume normal diplomatic communications.

01/12/2018

CDU/CSU and SPD agree on basic terms of a coalition government. If the SPD members approve (voting on 1/21), formal coalition talks will begin. It is one of the longest periods of negotiation in recent German history.

12/07/2017

Social Democrats vote to negotiate with Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union regarding coalition government and keep Martin Schulz as head of the party.

11/27/2017

Christian Democrats pursue a coalition with Social Democrats.

11/20/2017

Merkel says that she is open to new elections, but German Pres Walter Steinmeier calls for further negotiation.

11/19/2017

Free Democrats, generally in favor of small government and free markets, pull out of German coalition talks with Merkel’s coalition and the Greens.

09/25/2017

Merkel's coalition leads in parliamentary voting but without a majority

Voting today in parliamentary elections. The CDU/CSU coalition led by Merkel wins a plurality, but somewhat reduced. They will need a partner to govern, perhaps the Green Party. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) Party wins 12% of the vote and will be the second-largest party in parliament.