29 Jan 2021
Germany’s official parliamentary opposition party, the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD), faces possible observation by the security services just eight months before the country’s national election.
The Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, could classify part of the AfD as right-wing extremist, opening the party up to spying by the bureau.
Meanwhile, the party has filed a lawsuit against the police ahead of the looming decision on whether or not the government will consider elements of the AfD radical enough to justify it being under observation, Radio Télévision Suisse reports.
Far-right extremist sentenced to life in prison for 2019 killing of German politician theglobeandmail.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theglobeandmail.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Defendant Stephan Ernst looks on in the courtroom at the higher regional court in Frankfurt, Germany, January 28, 2021. (Kai Pfaffenbach/Pool Photo via AP)
BERLIN A far-right extremist in Germany was convicted Thursday and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a regional politician who had advocated helping refugees a brazen killing that shocked the country.
In its verdict against 47-year-old Stephan Ernst, the Frankfurt state court noted the “particular severity” of the crime, meaning that he will likely not be eligible for release after 15 years as is typical under German law, the dpa news agency reported.
During his trial, Ernst admitted to the June 1, 2019 shooting of Walter Luebcke, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party who led the regional administration in the Kassel area of central Germany though he gave three different versions of events.
1/18/2021 8:01:12 AM GMT
Markets
Markets finished the week with a cautious risk bias last Friday with Biden s $1900 billion stimulus plan lifting spirits only temporarily. Its announcement was the market s cue for some profit-taking while pondering the way forward. The narrowest Senate majority possible won t make it easy for the plan to be approved while investor attention also shifted to the potential need for higher taxes. Disappointing US data (retail sales, NY Empire Manufacturing index, U. of Michigan consumer confidence) and reports about the vaccine rollout risking to be delayed added to the risk-off. European stocks finished more than 1% in red. Wall Street ended up to 0.87% (Nasdaq) lower. UST s vastly outperformed Bunds with the US yield curve bull flattening. Yields were down 0.6 bps (2-yr) to 4.6 bps (10-yr). German yields rose marginally at the very long end (1.3 bps, 30-yr). The dollar continued its corrective rebound in a largely sentiment-driven move, strengthening
German state premier elected to lead Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union
AP, BERLIN
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right party yesterday chose North Rhine-Westphalia Premier Armin Laschet as its new leader sending a signal of continuity months before an election in which voters are to decide who becomes the new chancellor.
Laschet defeated Friedrich Merz, a conservative and one-time Merkel rival, at an online convention of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Laschet won 521 votes to Merz’s 466.
A third candidate, lawmaker Norbert Roettgen, was eliminated in a first round of voting.
North Rhine-Westphalia Premier and newly elected leader of the Christian Democratic Union Armin Laschet delivers at a party congress in Berlin yesterday.