Page 8 - AT

A8 WORLD NEWS
Monday 9 deceMber 2019

Germany: Merkel party criticizes ally's call for concessions

Associated Press to be haggled over after
BERLIN (AP) — The leader parliament's upper house,
of German Chancellor An- which represents state gov-
gela Merkel's party says she ernments, halted parts of it.
would have liked a clear As for the call for a mas-
signal from its junior govern- sive increase in public in-
ing partner that it intends vestment, she argued that
to stay in Merkel's coalition, there is no shortage of
and is deeply skeptical money and that, as long
about its calls for new con- as already-agreed funding
cessions. hasn't been used, it makes
The Social Democrats, the no sense to run up billions of
junior partner in Merkel's euros in new debt.
fractious government, In separate comments to
have elected a left-leaning the Frankfurter Allgemeine
new leadership duo, Saskia Sonntagszeitung newspa-
Esken and Norbert Walter- per, Kramp-Karrenbauer
Borjans. criticized the Social Demo-
A party convention on Fri- crat leadership's call for
day gave them a mandate raising the minimum wage,
to hold talks with Merkel's which currently stands at
center-right Union bloc Norbert Walter-Borjans stands alongside Saskia Esken, from right, at the beginning of the German 9.19 euros per hour and
aimed at raising the na- Social Democrats, SPD, federal party conference in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Dec. 6, 2019. is due to rise to 9.35 eu-
tional minimum wage, in- Associated Press ros in January, to 12 euros
creasing public investment ($13.25).
and raising the price of car- on whether the party stays "I would have liked a really am Sonntag newspaper. The minimum wage was in-
bon dioxide in a recently or goes. Merkel's bloc has clear signal from the Social "Governing a bit is just as troduced in 2015 at the So-
agreed climate package. made clear that it has no Democrats' convention impossible as being a bit cial Democrats' insistence
The Social Democrat con- intention of radically rene- on the continuation of the pregnant," she said. and its level is reviewed reg-
vention rejected a call gotiating the accord un- 'grand coalition,'" Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said ularly by an independent
from left-wingers to leave derpinning the "grand co- Kramp-Karrenbauer, the that "we can't start from commission. Kramp-Karren-
the government immedi- alition" of what were tradi- leader of Merkel's Christian scratch again" on the cli- bauer was quoted as say-
ately, but left open when tionally Germany's biggest Democratic Union, told mate package, details ing that its level should "not
a decision would be made parties. Sunday's edition of the Bild of which are already due be set politically."q

Female minister, 34, tapped to become Finland’s youngest PM

By JARI TANNER Democrats can appoint withdrew its support, citing
Associated Press one of their own to the post lack of trust.
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A of prime minister in the Nor- The Center Party also criti-
34-year-old transport min- dic nation of 5.5 million. cized Rinne's leadership
ister and lawmaker has Marin has been the par- skills prior to a two-week
been tapped to become ty's vice chairwoman, a strike by the country's state-
Finland's youngest prime lawmaker since 2015 and owned postal service Posti
minister ever and its third fe- served as until this week in November that spread
male government leader. as the minster for transport to other industries, includ-
Finland's ruling Social Dem- and communications. Ac- ing the national flag carrier
ocratic Party council voted cording to Finland's biggest Finnair.
32-29 late Sunday to name newspaper Helsingin Sano- Rinne's resignation prompt-
Sanna Marin over rival Antti mat and the Ilta-Sanomat ed the formal resignation
Lindtman to take over the tabloid, Marin will become of a coalition of the Social
government's top post from the world's youngest sitting Democrats and the Center
incumbent Antti Rinne. The candidate for the next Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin, prime minister. Party and three junior part-
Having emerged as Fin- left, smiles after she won the SDP’s Prime Minister candidate vote Rinne stepped down Tues- ners: the Greens, the Left
land's largest party in the against Antti Lindtman, in Helsinki, Finland, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019. day after a key coalition Alliance and the Swedish
April election, the Social Associated Press partner, the Center Party, People's Party of Finland.q