Siemens crisis deepens as Kleinfeld quits
By Richard Milne in London
Published: April 25 2007 16:42 | Last updated: April 25 2007 20:39
Siemens was thrown deeper into turmoil on Wednesday after Klaus Kleinfeld said he would resign as chief executive of Europe’s largest engineering group before the end of the summer.
The move means the German industrial group has lost its two top officials within days amid the biggest corporate corruption scandal in Germany.
A successor to Mr Kleinfeld has not yet been chosen, but people close to the supervisory board said several external candidates were being approached.
“It is extremely disappointing. The fact is that [Mr] Kleinfeld has done nothing wrong; he has tripled the share price, doubled operating margins and he is leaving for an unspecified reason,” said Ben Uglow, an analyst at Morgan Stanley.
Mr Kleinfeld’s decision to step down at the end of his contract in September is the worst outcome for many Siemens investors. It follows the resignation of Heinrich von Pierer as chairman with effect from Wednesday.
Investors expressed incredulity as neither man has been accused or charged and both have denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of any of the alleged acts.
Siemens’ shares traded down 3.4 per cent in after-hours trading on Wednesday. They had earlier surged 2 per cent, after Mr Kleinfeld pre-released late on Tuesday better-than-expected second-quarter profits, in an apparent attempt to fight off the move to remove him.
Supervisory board members, led by new chairman, Gerhard Cromme, and deputy chairman and Deutsche Bank head, Josef Ackermann, had pushed the issue of Mr Kleinfeld’s future to the top of the agenda. “The company needs a new start,” said a person close to the board.
But analysts said the move was likely to destroy Siemens’ carefully cultivated relationship with the capital markets. It also raises questions on Germany’s corporate governance as supervisory board members, rather than shareholders, ejected him.
“If the person who built up the credibility with investors goes, then the shareholder representatives on the board should go too. There should be a total overhaul. Maybe the whole of the supervisory board should be changed so there would be a real new beginning,” said one of the company’s top five investors.
Investors said an outside candidate could fill the role, but expressed concern that Siemens’ restructuring would slow down.
Mr Uglow said: “The board says it wants a new start, but markets wanted continuity.”
Wolfgang Reitzle, head of industrial gases group Linde, was approached over the job, but declined.
Advisers to Siemens’ supervisory board admit a solution needs to be reached swiftly. They said it was unclear whether any successor could be brought in quickly.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Kleinfeld comes out fighting at Siemens (FT)
Kleinfeld comes out fighting at Siemens
By Ivar Simensen in Frankfurt and Richard Milne in London
Published: April 25 2007 10:51 | Last updated: April 25 2007 10:51
Klaus Kleinfeld, chief executive of Siemens, came out fighting for his job on Wednesday as the German industrial conglomerate announced second-quarter results that beat market expectations.
The early release of strong results added pressure on Mr Kleinfeld’s supervisory board, which is meeting later on Wednesday to decide on his future at the company.
“He wants to show the [supervisory] board that he has been successful in raising returns. The figures were expected to be good and they clearly are,” said James Stettler, Siemens analyst at Dresdner Kleinwort.
Siemens late on Tuesday reported a 10 per cent rise in revenues to €20.63bn ($28bn) and a 49 per cent rise in group operating profits to €1.96bn. Earnings before interest and tax were about 14 per cent ahead of consensus estimates, said Dresdner Kleinwort.
Siemens was originally scheduled to report second quarter earnings on Thursday, the day after the supervisory board meeting.
The news sent shares in Siemens up 1.4 per cent to €90.45, reversing some of Tuesday’s losses when investors fretted about the future of Siemens if it lost its chief executive, who has been the driving force behind the company’s restructuring.
“A lot of shareholders have waited so long for this company to start to perform. If job security in Germany again becomes priority number one, it is potentially disastrous,” said Mr Stettler, adding: “If Kleinfeld is clean, he should stay in his job.”
Mr Kleinfeld has come under severe pressure after several supervisory board members, including its incoming chairman, advocated a ”clean start” at the company, which has been rattled by two corruption scandals.
Heinrich von Pierer, Mr Kleinfeld’s long-running predecessor as chief executive, last week resigned as chairman.
Investors on Tuesday expressed concern that ejecting Mr Kleinfeld could signal the end of the restructuring at the group.
“This would be the investors’ worst nightmare,” said Ben Uglow, analyst at Morgan Stanley, on Tuesday, when shares in Siemens fell nearly 3 per cent. “This would be it for Siemens and the capital market,” said Mr Uglow.
Analysts spoke of several big shareholders thinking about selling large positions.
Henning Gebhardt, head of German equities at DWS, Germany’s largest fund manager, said: “This concerns us a lot. We would not be happy about this.”
Mr Kleinfeld’s contract expires in September, and he was widely expected to have it renewed for another five years at today’s supervisory board meeting.
But a person close to the supervisory board said a ”handful” of members, including Gerhard Cromme, who takes over as chairman today, and Josef Ackermann, chief executive of Deutsche Bank and a Siemens non-executive, were discussing whether Siemens needed a new chief executive.
Mr Ackermann and Mr Cromme, who wants to remain chairman after his new interim contract expires in January, were said to be looking for allies on the board.
The powerful IG Metall union, which is strongly represented on the board and has recently clashed with Mr Kleinfeld over the sale of the group’s failing mobile handsets division to Taiwan’s BenQ and the upcoming spin-off of automotive business VDO, has not backed the chief executive.
However, one official noted that “any new guy would be unlikely to act any differently” when it comes to restructuring the group.
People close to Siemens’ supervisory board said it could still decide to postpone the decision over renewing Mr Kleinfeld’s contract or make it a short-term contract. ”The board wants to have a clear picture of what has happened before making a decision on extending the contract,” said one.
However, either a delay or a shorter contract would be seen as very damaging to Mr Kleinfeld’s position. German press reports on Wednesday suggested Mr Kleinfeld would resign if the board offered him anything but a new five-year contract.
Wolfgang Reitzle, chief executive of Linde, the industrial gases group, has been touted as a possible successor to Mr Kleinfeld.
However, a Linde spokesman said on Tuesday: ”You can be certain that Reitzle will remain CEO of Linde.”
Additional reporting by Gerrit Wiesmann in Frankfurt
Background
German police raided a number of Siemens’ offices in November as prosecutors suspected employees used fake consulting contracts to divert company funds in order to bribe potential clients abroad. A month later, Siemens said it had uncovered suspicious payments totalling €426m ($580m) that stretched back into the 1990s. In March, the company was rocked by another probe into payments to an employer-friendly labour representative. Chief executive Klaus Kleinfeld and chairman Heinrich von Pierer denied any wrongdoing in both cases and instigated measures to investigate and fight misconduct. But Mr von Pierer’s tenure as chief executive from 1992 to 2005 spanned the years in which the alleged bribery took place. Under pressure from fellow non-executives, he resigned as chairman of Siemens supervisory board last Thursday.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
By Ivar Simensen in Frankfurt and Richard Milne in London
Published: April 25 2007 10:51 | Last updated: April 25 2007 10:51
Klaus Kleinfeld, chief executive of Siemens, came out fighting for his job on Wednesday as the German industrial conglomerate announced second-quarter results that beat market expectations.
The early release of strong results added pressure on Mr Kleinfeld’s supervisory board, which is meeting later on Wednesday to decide on his future at the company.
“He wants to show the [supervisory] board that he has been successful in raising returns. The figures were expected to be good and they clearly are,” said James Stettler, Siemens analyst at Dresdner Kleinwort.
Siemens late on Tuesday reported a 10 per cent rise in revenues to €20.63bn ($28bn) and a 49 per cent rise in group operating profits to €1.96bn. Earnings before interest and tax were about 14 per cent ahead of consensus estimates, said Dresdner Kleinwort.
Siemens was originally scheduled to report second quarter earnings on Thursday, the day after the supervisory board meeting.
The news sent shares in Siemens up 1.4 per cent to €90.45, reversing some of Tuesday’s losses when investors fretted about the future of Siemens if it lost its chief executive, who has been the driving force behind the company’s restructuring.
“A lot of shareholders have waited so long for this company to start to perform. If job security in Germany again becomes priority number one, it is potentially disastrous,” said Mr Stettler, adding: “If Kleinfeld is clean, he should stay in his job.”
Mr Kleinfeld has come under severe pressure after several supervisory board members, including its incoming chairman, advocated a ”clean start” at the company, which has been rattled by two corruption scandals.
Heinrich von Pierer, Mr Kleinfeld’s long-running predecessor as chief executive, last week resigned as chairman.
Investors on Tuesday expressed concern that ejecting Mr Kleinfeld could signal the end of the restructuring at the group.
“This would be the investors’ worst nightmare,” said Ben Uglow, analyst at Morgan Stanley, on Tuesday, when shares in Siemens fell nearly 3 per cent. “This would be it for Siemens and the capital market,” said Mr Uglow.
Analysts spoke of several big shareholders thinking about selling large positions.
Henning Gebhardt, head of German equities at DWS, Germany’s largest fund manager, said: “This concerns us a lot. We would not be happy about this.”
Mr Kleinfeld’s contract expires in September, and he was widely expected to have it renewed for another five years at today’s supervisory board meeting.
But a person close to the supervisory board said a ”handful” of members, including Gerhard Cromme, who takes over as chairman today, and Josef Ackermann, chief executive of Deutsche Bank and a Siemens non-executive, were discussing whether Siemens needed a new chief executive.
Mr Ackermann and Mr Cromme, who wants to remain chairman after his new interim contract expires in January, were said to be looking for allies on the board.
The powerful IG Metall union, which is strongly represented on the board and has recently clashed with Mr Kleinfeld over the sale of the group’s failing mobile handsets division to Taiwan’s BenQ and the upcoming spin-off of automotive business VDO, has not backed the chief executive.
However, one official noted that “any new guy would be unlikely to act any differently” when it comes to restructuring the group.
People close to Siemens’ supervisory board said it could still decide to postpone the decision over renewing Mr Kleinfeld’s contract or make it a short-term contract. ”The board wants to have a clear picture of what has happened before making a decision on extending the contract,” said one.
However, either a delay or a shorter contract would be seen as very damaging to Mr Kleinfeld’s position. German press reports on Wednesday suggested Mr Kleinfeld would resign if the board offered him anything but a new five-year contract.
Wolfgang Reitzle, chief executive of Linde, the industrial gases group, has been touted as a possible successor to Mr Kleinfeld.
However, a Linde spokesman said on Tuesday: ”You can be certain that Reitzle will remain CEO of Linde.”
Additional reporting by Gerrit Wiesmann in Frankfurt
Background
German police raided a number of Siemens’ offices in November as prosecutors suspected employees used fake consulting contracts to divert company funds in order to bribe potential clients abroad. A month later, Siemens said it had uncovered suspicious payments totalling €426m ($580m) that stretched back into the 1990s. In March, the company was rocked by another probe into payments to an employer-friendly labour representative. Chief executive Klaus Kleinfeld and chairman Heinrich von Pierer denied any wrongdoing in both cases and instigated measures to investigate and fight misconduct. But Mr von Pierer’s tenure as chief executive from 1992 to 2005 spanned the years in which the alleged bribery took place. Under pressure from fellow non-executives, he resigned as chairman of Siemens supervisory board last Thursday.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Building blocks of recovery rise over Germany (FT)
Building blocks of recovery rise over Germany
By Hugh Williamson
Published: April 24 2007 03:00 | Last updated: April 24 2007 03:00
A sharp recovery in Germany's construction sector is gathering pace, with industry turnover expanding by 20 per cent to €8.5bn ($11.5bn, £5.8bn) in the first two months of this year, according to official data published yesterday.
The recovery of the industry after a decade in the doldrums is a visible symptom of Germany's economic boom that can be gauged on building sites across Berlin. After a sharp downturn in the mid-1990s, builders are overwhelmed with work.
Alexander Harnisch, whose company Harnisch & Partners renovates old residential buildings in Berlin, says his new headache is painters and plasterers who "say yes to every project, but are then overworked and can't finish on time".
He says such contractors are "still living in the bad years, the decade from the mid-1990s onwards, when work was scarce and every contract was precious".
As a result, he has recently recruited 10 extra tradespeople to ensure projects are completed on time. "That is 10 jobs that did not exist six months ago," he says.
The sector is expected to grow 3.5 per cent this year, according to HDB, the building industry federation.
"After these difficult years it is great to be more positive again," says Heiko Stiepelmann, HDB deputy director, adding that "long-term prospects are also good". Both business-related and public sector construction work is in strong demand, reflecting the broad upturn in the national economy.
Michael Glos, economics minister, is expected tomorrow to revise upwards to2.4 per cent the government's growth forecast for this year, after the country's top five economic think-tanks issued a similar forecast last week.
The think-tanks said investment in energy-efficient building projects was the fastest-growing segment of the industry.
Mr Harnisch says the rush towards energy efficiency - sparked by environmental awareness and government subsidies - has meant shortages of, for instance, insulation materials.
The think-tanks' report predicts that the building industry will help Germany's recovery, with investment in the sector expected to grow 2.7 per cent in 2007 and 2008. In contrast, the sector's shrinkage shaved at least 1 percentage point off German growth between 2000 and 2005.
Mr Stiepelmann stresses that, despite the bright prospects, the sector's problems are not over. The use of thousands of non-registered building workers, usually from eastern Europe, damages the sector's reputation.
The industry's east-west divide also remains problematic. The sector expanded particularly rapidly in eastern Germany after reunification in 1990, as generous subsidies and overly optimistic demand forecasts led to huge over-supply.
The problems in the east remain acute. But things are improving. Construction employment has this year recovered more quickly in eastern compared with western Germany, the HDB says.
"In a couple of years' time we will have a shortage of construction engineers, because over the years fewer and fewer people have trained in this profession," Mr Stiepelmann says.
On the way up
Following Germany's post-unification building boom, the sector contracted sharply, with new investment shrinking 25 per cent between 1994-2005. Employment was halved to about 711,000, as jobless building workers swelled the unemployment queues. The current economic upswing presents a long-term basis for the sector's recovery, say industry executives.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
By Hugh Williamson
Published: April 24 2007 03:00 | Last updated: April 24 2007 03:00
A sharp recovery in Germany's construction sector is gathering pace, with industry turnover expanding by 20 per cent to €8.5bn ($11.5bn, £5.8bn) in the first two months of this year, according to official data published yesterday.
The recovery of the industry after a decade in the doldrums is a visible symptom of Germany's economic boom that can be gauged on building sites across Berlin. After a sharp downturn in the mid-1990s, builders are overwhelmed with work.
Alexander Harnisch, whose company Harnisch & Partners renovates old residential buildings in Berlin, says his new headache is painters and plasterers who "say yes to every project, but are then overworked and can't finish on time".
He says such contractors are "still living in the bad years, the decade from the mid-1990s onwards, when work was scarce and every contract was precious".
As a result, he has recently recruited 10 extra tradespeople to ensure projects are completed on time. "That is 10 jobs that did not exist six months ago," he says.
The sector is expected to grow 3.5 per cent this year, according to HDB, the building industry federation.
"After these difficult years it is great to be more positive again," says Heiko Stiepelmann, HDB deputy director, adding that "long-term prospects are also good". Both business-related and public sector construction work is in strong demand, reflecting the broad upturn in the national economy.
Michael Glos, economics minister, is expected tomorrow to revise upwards to2.4 per cent the government's growth forecast for this year, after the country's top five economic think-tanks issued a similar forecast last week.
The think-tanks said investment in energy-efficient building projects was the fastest-growing segment of the industry.
Mr Harnisch says the rush towards energy efficiency - sparked by environmental awareness and government subsidies - has meant shortages of, for instance, insulation materials.
The think-tanks' report predicts that the building industry will help Germany's recovery, with investment in the sector expected to grow 2.7 per cent in 2007 and 2008. In contrast, the sector's shrinkage shaved at least 1 percentage point off German growth between 2000 and 2005.
Mr Stiepelmann stresses that, despite the bright prospects, the sector's problems are not over. The use of thousands of non-registered building workers, usually from eastern Europe, damages the sector's reputation.
The industry's east-west divide also remains problematic. The sector expanded particularly rapidly in eastern Germany after reunification in 1990, as generous subsidies and overly optimistic demand forecasts led to huge over-supply.
The problems in the east remain acute. But things are improving. Construction employment has this year recovered more quickly in eastern compared with western Germany, the HDB says.
"In a couple of years' time we will have a shortage of construction engineers, because over the years fewer and fewer people have trained in this profession," Mr Stiepelmann says.
On the way up
Following Germany's post-unification building boom, the sector contracted sharply, with new investment shrinking 25 per cent between 1994-2005. Employment was halved to about 711,000, as jobless building workers swelled the unemployment queues. The current economic upswing presents a long-term basis for the sector's recovery, say industry executives.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
FT.com / Comment & analysis - Observer: From all sides
FT.com / Comment & analysis - Observer: From all sides
Observer: From all sides
Published: April 24 2007 03:00 | Last updated: April 24 2007 03:00
The German chancellor Angela Merkel is a great multi-tasker, but her preparations for the G8 summit of industrial nations in June are taking on extreme proportions.
This week top business associations from the G8 countries are in town to lobby her to promote globalisation, while in early May the rich world's trade union leaders are coming to lobby in the opposite direction.
Helping Africa is another area where she is being bombarded. Last week the rock star/activist Bono was in Berlin shmoozing for more aid.
Bono is the secular pope of Africa's development, and now it turns out the real Pope has been getting in on the lobby-Merkel act. Pope Benedict XVI and Merkel have been exchanging letters (in German, Observer presumes), it emerged yesterday.
The Pope is pushing for greater trade opportunities for poor countries; Merkel replied that she'd do her best to oblige.
Now let's wait to see if the Pope pops up in the final communiqué at the June summit.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Observer: From all sides
Published: April 24 2007 03:00 | Last updated: April 24 2007 03:00
The German chancellor Angela Merkel is a great multi-tasker, but her preparations for the G8 summit of industrial nations in June are taking on extreme proportions.
This week top business associations from the G8 countries are in town to lobby her to promote globalisation, while in early May the rich world's trade union leaders are coming to lobby in the opposite direction.
Helping Africa is another area where she is being bombarded. Last week the rock star/activist Bono was in Berlin shmoozing for more aid.
Bono is the secular pope of Africa's development, and now it turns out the real Pope has been getting in on the lobby-Merkel act. Pope Benedict XVI and Merkel have been exchanging letters (in German, Observer presumes), it emerged yesterday.
The Pope is pushing for greater trade opportunities for poor countries; Merkel replied that she'd do her best to oblige.
Now let's wait to see if the Pope pops up in the final communiqué at the June summit.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
FT.com / Companies / Basic industries - Building blocks of recovery rise over Germany
FT.com / Companies / Basic industries - Building blocks of recovery rise over Germany
Building blocks of recovery rise over Germany
By Hugh Williamson
Published: April 24 2007 03:00 | Last updated: April 24 2007 03:00
A sharp recovery in Germany's construction sector is gathering pace, with industry turnover expanding by 20 per cent to €8.5bn ($11.5bn, £5.8bn) in the first two months of this year, according to official data published yesterday.
The recovery of the industry after a decade in the doldrums is a visible symptom of Germany's economic boom that can be gauged on building sites across Berlin. After a sharp downturn in the mid-1990s, builders are overwhelmed with work.
Alexander Harnisch, whose company Harnisch & Partners renovates old residential buildings in Berlin, says his new headache is painters and plasterers who "say yes to every project, but are then overworked and can't finish on time".
He says such contractors are "still living in the bad years, the decade from the mid-1990s onwards, when work was scarce and every contract was precious".
As a result, he has recently recruited 10 extra tradespeople to ensure projects are completed on time. "That is 10 jobs that did not exist six months ago," he says.
The sector is expected to grow 3.5 per cent this year, according to HDB, the building industry federation.
"After these difficult years it is great to be more positive again," says Heiko Stiepelmann, HDB deputy director, adding that "long-term prospects are also good". Both business-related and public sector construction work is in strong demand, reflecting the broad upturn in the national economy.
Michael Glos, economics minister, is expected tomorrow to revise upwards to2.4 per cent the government's growth forecast for this year, after the country's top five economic think-tanks issued a similar forecast last week.
The think-tanks said investment in energy-efficient building projects was the fastest-growing segment of the industry.
Mr Harnisch says the rush towards energy efficiency - sparked by environmental awareness and government subsidies - has meant shortages of, for instance, insulation materials.
The think-tanks' report predicts that the building industry will help Germany's recovery, with investment in the sector expected to grow 2.7 per cent in 2007 and 2008. In contrast, the sector's shrinkage shaved at least 1 percentage point off German growth between 2000 and 2005.
Mr Stiepelmann stresses that, despite the bright prospects, the sector's problems are not over. The use of thousands of non-registered building workers, usually from eastern Europe, damages the sector's reputation.
The industry's east-west divide also remains problematic. The sector expanded particularly rapidly in eastern Germany after reunification in 1990, as generous subsidies and overly optimistic demand forecasts led to huge over-supply.
The problems in the east remain acute. But things are improving. Construction employment has this year recovered more quickly in eastern compared with western Germany, the HDB says.
"In a couple of years' time we will have a shortage of construction engineers, because over the years fewer and fewer people have trained in this profession," Mr Stiepelmann says.
On the way up
Following Germany's post-unification building boom, the sector contracted sharply, with new investment shrinking 25 per cent between 1994-2005. Employment was halved to about 711,000, as jobless building workers swelled the unemployment queues. The current economic upswing presents a long-term basis for the sector's recovery, say industry executives.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Building blocks of recovery rise over Germany
By Hugh Williamson
Published: April 24 2007 03:00 | Last updated: April 24 2007 03:00
A sharp recovery in Germany's construction sector is gathering pace, with industry turnover expanding by 20 per cent to €8.5bn ($11.5bn, £5.8bn) in the first two months of this year, according to official data published yesterday.
The recovery of the industry after a decade in the doldrums is a visible symptom of Germany's economic boom that can be gauged on building sites across Berlin. After a sharp downturn in the mid-1990s, builders are overwhelmed with work.
Alexander Harnisch, whose company Harnisch & Partners renovates old residential buildings in Berlin, says his new headache is painters and plasterers who "say yes to every project, but are then overworked and can't finish on time".
He says such contractors are "still living in the bad years, the decade from the mid-1990s onwards, when work was scarce and every contract was precious".
As a result, he has recently recruited 10 extra tradespeople to ensure projects are completed on time. "That is 10 jobs that did not exist six months ago," he says.
The sector is expected to grow 3.5 per cent this year, according to HDB, the building industry federation.
"After these difficult years it is great to be more positive again," says Heiko Stiepelmann, HDB deputy director, adding that "long-term prospects are also good". Both business-related and public sector construction work is in strong demand, reflecting the broad upturn in the national economy.
Michael Glos, economics minister, is expected tomorrow to revise upwards to2.4 per cent the government's growth forecast for this year, after the country's top five economic think-tanks issued a similar forecast last week.
The think-tanks said investment in energy-efficient building projects was the fastest-growing segment of the industry.
Mr Harnisch says the rush towards energy efficiency - sparked by environmental awareness and government subsidies - has meant shortages of, for instance, insulation materials.
The think-tanks' report predicts that the building industry will help Germany's recovery, with investment in the sector expected to grow 2.7 per cent in 2007 and 2008. In contrast, the sector's shrinkage shaved at least 1 percentage point off German growth between 2000 and 2005.
Mr Stiepelmann stresses that, despite the bright prospects, the sector's problems are not over. The use of thousands of non-registered building workers, usually from eastern Europe, damages the sector's reputation.
The industry's east-west divide also remains problematic. The sector expanded particularly rapidly in eastern Germany after reunification in 1990, as generous subsidies and overly optimistic demand forecasts led to huge over-supply.
The problems in the east remain acute. But things are improving. Construction employment has this year recovered more quickly in eastern compared with western Germany, the HDB says.
"In a couple of years' time we will have a shortage of construction engineers, because over the years fewer and fewer people have trained in this profession," Mr Stiepelmann says.
On the way up
Following Germany's post-unification building boom, the sector contracted sharply, with new investment shrinking 25 per cent between 1994-2005. Employment was halved to about 711,000, as jobless building workers swelled the unemployment queues. The current economic upswing presents a long-term basis for the sector's recovery, say industry executives.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
Banken, Private Equity & Dienstleistungen - Wirtschaft - FAZ.NET - Barclays schluckt ABN Amro: Turbulenzen auf Europas Bankenmarkt
Banken, Private Equity & Dienstleistungen - Wirtschaft - FAZ.NET - Barclays schluckt ABN Amro: Turbulenzen auf Europas Bankenmarkt
23. April 2007 In den europäischen Bankenmarkt kommt Bewegung. Die britische Barclays Bank will mit der holländischen ABN Amro fusionieren; gleichzeitig kursieren Gerüchte über eine Annäherung zwischen dem italienischen Unicredit und der französischen Societe Generale. Ob die beiden Deals zustande kommen, ist offen. Neben Barclays könnten sich noch andere Großbanken für ABN Amro interessieren, und eine Ehe zwischen einer italienischen und einer französischen Großbank, in der die Franzosen nicht den Ton angeben, dürfte auf erhebliche Vorbehalte im Elysee-Palast stoßen - unabhängig davon, ob der neue Hausherr nun Sarkozy oder Royal heißen wird.
23. April 2007 In den europäischen Bankenmarkt kommt Bewegung. Die britische Barclays Bank will mit der holländischen ABN Amro fusionieren; gleichzeitig kursieren Gerüchte über eine Annäherung zwischen dem italienischen Unicredit und der französischen Societe Generale. Ob die beiden Deals zustande kommen, ist offen. Neben Barclays könnten sich noch andere Großbanken für ABN Amro interessieren, und eine Ehe zwischen einer italienischen und einer französischen Großbank, in der die Franzosen nicht den Ton angeben, dürfte auf erhebliche Vorbehalte im Elysee-Palast stoßen - unabhängig davon, ob der neue Hausherr nun Sarkozy oder Royal heißen wird.
FTD.de - Finanzdienstleister - Nachrichten - Barclays-Rivalen lassen Gespräch platzen
FTD.de - Finanzdienstleister - Nachrichten - Barclays-Rivalen lassen Gespräch platzen
Barclays hat gewonnen - vorerst jedenfalls. Nach der Einigung der Briten mit ABN Amro hat ein konkurrierendes Konsortium sein Gespräch mit den Niederländern abgesagt. Den endgültigen Sieg bedeutet das aber noch nicht.
Barclays hat gewonnen - vorerst jedenfalls. Nach der Einigung der Briten mit ABN Amro hat ein konkurrierendes Konsortium sein Gespräch mit den Niederländern abgesagt. Den endgültigen Sieg bedeutet das aber noch nicht.
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - RAF-Opfer wollen Klars Begnadigung verhindern
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - RAF-Opfer wollen Klars Begnadigung verhindern
Bundespräsident Horst Köhler hat in den vergangenen Wochen offenbar mehrere Briefe von RAF-Opfern oder ihren Angehörigen bekommen. Sie sprechen sich vehement gegen eine Begnadigung Christian Klars aus.
Bundespräsident Horst Köhler hat in den vergangenen Wochen offenbar mehrere Briefe von RAF-Opfern oder ihren Angehörigen bekommen. Sie sprechen sich vehement gegen eine Begnadigung Christian Klars aus.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Umstrittener Regierungsberater Merkels Einsatz für Pierer wird suspekt - Wirtschaft - sueddeutsche.de
Umstrittener Regierungsberater Merkels Einsatz für Pierer wird suspekt - Wirtschaft - sueddeutsche.de
Aufsichtsrat Pierer tritt zurück. Wohl, weil er von vielen dubiosen Praktiken bei Siemens hätte wissen müssen. Trotzdem soll er auf Wunsch der Kanzlerin Regierungsberater bleiben. Anti-Korruptionskämpfer und Liberale finden das unerhört.
Aufsichtsrat Pierer tritt zurück. Wohl, weil er von vielen dubiosen Praktiken bei Siemens hätte wissen müssen. Trotzdem soll er auf Wunsch der Kanzlerin Regierungsberater bleiben. Anti-Korruptionskämpfer und Liberale finden das unerhört.
Im Strudel der Affären Der Mann, der Mr. Siemens war - Wirtschaft - sueddeutsche.de
Im Strudel der Affären Der Mann, der Mr. Siemens war - Wirtschaft - sueddeutsche.de
Beinahe-Bundespräsident, Schröder-Freund, CSU-Mitglied, Symbol der deutschen Industriegeschichte. Heinrich von Pierer ist ein Urgestein. 15 Jahre lang hat er Siemens geprägt, verändert und verkörpert - doch am Ende hat er sich verrechnet.
Beinahe-Bundespräsident, Schröder-Freund, CSU-Mitglied, Symbol der deutschen Industriegeschichte. Heinrich von Pierer ist ein Urgestein. 15 Jahre lang hat er Siemens geprägt, verändert und verkörpert - doch am Ende hat er sich verrechnet.
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - Die RAF: Wer noch in Haft sitzt#a0
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - Die RAF: Wer noch in Haft sitzt#a0
Nach der Entlassung von Brigitte Mohnhaupt verbüßen nur noch drei von ehemals 26 inhaftierten Ex-RAF-Terroristen Haftstrafen: Christian Klar, Eva Sybille Haule und Birgit Hogefeld.
Nach der Entlassung von Brigitte Mohnhaupt verbüßen nur noch drei von ehemals 26 inhaftierten Ex-RAF-Terroristen Haftstrafen: Christian Klar, Eva Sybille Haule und Birgit Hogefeld.
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - Fall Buback soll neu aufgerollt werden
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - Fall Buback soll neu aufgerollt werden
Der Mord der Roten Armee Fraktion (RAF) an Generalbundesanwalt Siegfried Buback vor 30 Jahren muss nach Ansicht mehrerer Politiker neu aufgerollt werden. Zuvor hatte es neue Erkenntnisse gegeben.
Der Mord der Roten Armee Fraktion (RAF) an Generalbundesanwalt Siegfried Buback vor 30 Jahren muss nach Ansicht mehrerer Politiker neu aufgerollt werden. Zuvor hatte es neue Erkenntnisse gegeben.
FTD.de - Industrie - Bilderserie - Aufstieg und Ende von Mr. Siemens
FTD.de - Industrie - Bilderserie - Aufstieg und Ende von Mr. Siemens
Heinrich von Pierers Rücktritt als Siemens-Aufsichtsratschef markiert den vorläufigen Höhepunkt der Schmiergeldaffäre. Mehr als ein Jahrzehnt lang war von Pierer einer der angesehensten Vertreter der Deutschland AG und wurde auch von der Politik umschmeichelt. Ein Rückblick in Bildern.
Heinrich von Pierers Rücktritt als Siemens-Aufsichtsratschef markiert den vorläufigen Höhepunkt der Schmiergeldaffäre. Mehr als ein Jahrzehnt lang war von Pierer einer der angesehensten Vertreter der Deutschland AG und wurde auch von der Politik umschmeichelt. Ein Rückblick in Bildern.
FT.com / Companies / Europe - The man who engineered the restructuring of Siemens
FT.com / Companies / Europe - The man who engineered the restructuring of Siemens
The man who engineered the restructuring of Siemens
By Richard Milne
Published: April 21 2007 03:00 | Last updated: April 21 2007 03:00
"A pragmatic capitalist and social romantic" - that Financial Times headline from seven years ago was Heinrich von Pierer's favourite description of himself.
His big fear as he prepares to resign on Wednesday as Siemens' chairman is that the reverberations from two scandals will damage that legacy perhaps irreparably.
Mr von Pierer was one of his generation's leading businessmen, helping keep the German industrial conglomerate together in spite of outside pressure, while hobnobbing with the great and good on boards from Deutsche Bank to Volks-wagen. Once a serious contender for German president, he was also a tennis partner of former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, and an adviser on innovation to Angela Merkel, the current chancellor.
His service to both Social Democrat and Christian Democrat chancellors says much about him - he was interested in being in powerful positions and happy to act pragmatically to get there (he was a Christian Democrat councillor in the 1970s). Similarly, while at VW he complained vociferously about corporate governance in private, yet remained in his post as a non-executive director while others resigned in disgust.
His contrasts continued at Siemens and led to his love of that FT headline. His pragmatic capitalism was underlined by his introducing the words "shareholder value" into the Siemens lexicon. He span off divisions and forced through heavy restructuring. But he also resisted calls to split up the sprawling conglomerate. Proudly German, he disliked attempts to undermine institutions such as the co-determination system under which workers help run companies.
Even today, one of his proudest memories is to recall his naming as an honorary member of the works council at Siemens' Erfurt plant. He delighted in telling visitors about wearing - and being photographed in - a red jacket belonging to the IG Metall union, a fairly hardline outfit in the engineering industry.
He sometimes bemoaned that his successor as chief executive, Klaus Kleinfeld, failed to spend time being a "social romantic". A former colleague of Mr von Pierer's on the management board says: "Say what you like about Pierer, he always acted in the interests ofSiemens."
He had a particular interest in Asia, and Siemens' stellar growth there in recent years is largely because of him. Coming from lunch with him a year ago, a visitor saw him run over and hug some Chinese customers looking roundSiemens' Munich headquarters. "He is Siemens to us," one of the Chinese delegation said, beaming at Mr von Pierer's attentions.
But the list of Mr von Pierer's achievements have been severely tarnished in the eyes of many by the twin scandals engulfing Siemens. Mr von Pierer denies any wrongdoing or knowledge of either scandal. But most of the events in a €426m ($580m) bribery affair and an investigation into whether Siemens financially supported a rival to its main trade union took place during his 13-year term as chief executive, which ended in 2005.
Questions arose not just about the competence of management and the company's controls but also as to Siemens' culture.
Mr von Pierer always denied a personal responsibility, arguing that business could not have a definition of the term like in politics. Instead he justified his resignation by hoping that it would allow the company to sail back to "calmer waters" and said he had always put Siemens and its 475,000 workers above personal considerations. Many praised his decision as selfless.
But there is no doubt that this was a wrenching decision for him to take. Just days ago he was telling friends still that we was "kampfbereit" - ready to fight. But private talks with several prominent directors from the labour side and shareholder bank - including Gerhard Cromme, the chairman of steelmaker ThyssenKrupp and his temporary successor - convinced him to go.
Many people close to Mr Kleinfeld felt frustrated about having his predecessor in the supervisory board watching over him and potentially blocking his ideas. But others are worried that there is no counterweight to Mr Kleinfeld now. "With von Pierer gone, who will check him? German companies are just not made for one person to have so much power," a former management board member at Siemens said.
Mr von Pierer said he would continue with his other mandates including being the innovation adviser to Chancellor Angela Merkel and board seats at Volks-wagen and Deutsche Bank. "I'm coming from a 60-hour week to one of perhaps 30-35 hours. As a pensioner I think that is enough."
Merkel says she wants to keep former Siemens chief as her senior business adviser
By Hugh Williamson
Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said yesterday that she would retain Heinrich von Pierer as her senior business adviser in spite of his resignation from Siemens' supervisory board, Hugh Williamson reports from Berlin.
Ms Merkel argued that Mr von Pierer "embodied" the positive values associated with the German engineering giant.
Other reactions were more negative, with Berthold Huber, deputy chairman of the IG Metall engineering union, arguing that the resignation was "long overdue". He added: "Now Siemens has a chance for a new beginning."
Josef Ackermann, chief executive of Deutsche Bank and deputy chairman of Siemens' supervisory board, expressed "huge regret" over Mr von Pierer's resignation, saying there remained "absolutely no doubt" about the former chairman's "personal integrity".
Mr von Pierer himself yesterday expressed bitterness over how he felt he had been treated by the media and by prosecutors investigating Siemens' corruption scandals. He used an e-mail to staff to attack the "sweeping judgments" about him that were "often not based on any facts".
Ms Merkel's spokesman said she "respected" Mr von Pierer's decision to step down but hoped that he would continue as chairman of the chancellor's "innovation council" of business leaders.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
The man who engineered the restructuring of Siemens
By Richard Milne
Published: April 21 2007 03:00 | Last updated: April 21 2007 03:00
"A pragmatic capitalist and social romantic" - that Financial Times headline from seven years ago was Heinrich von Pierer's favourite description of himself.
His big fear as he prepares to resign on Wednesday as Siemens' chairman is that the reverberations from two scandals will damage that legacy perhaps irreparably.
Mr von Pierer was one of his generation's leading businessmen, helping keep the German industrial conglomerate together in spite of outside pressure, while hobnobbing with the great and good on boards from Deutsche Bank to Volks-wagen. Once a serious contender for German president, he was also a tennis partner of former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, and an adviser on innovation to Angela Merkel, the current chancellor.
His service to both Social Democrat and Christian Democrat chancellors says much about him - he was interested in being in powerful positions and happy to act pragmatically to get there (he was a Christian Democrat councillor in the 1970s). Similarly, while at VW he complained vociferously about corporate governance in private, yet remained in his post as a non-executive director while others resigned in disgust.
His contrasts continued at Siemens and led to his love of that FT headline. His pragmatic capitalism was underlined by his introducing the words "shareholder value" into the Siemens lexicon. He span off divisions and forced through heavy restructuring. But he also resisted calls to split up the sprawling conglomerate. Proudly German, he disliked attempts to undermine institutions such as the co-determination system under which workers help run companies.
Even today, one of his proudest memories is to recall his naming as an honorary member of the works council at Siemens' Erfurt plant. He delighted in telling visitors about wearing - and being photographed in - a red jacket belonging to the IG Metall union, a fairly hardline outfit in the engineering industry.
He sometimes bemoaned that his successor as chief executive, Klaus Kleinfeld, failed to spend time being a "social romantic". A former colleague of Mr von Pierer's on the management board says: "Say what you like about Pierer, he always acted in the interests ofSiemens."
He had a particular interest in Asia, and Siemens' stellar growth there in recent years is largely because of him. Coming from lunch with him a year ago, a visitor saw him run over and hug some Chinese customers looking roundSiemens' Munich headquarters. "He is Siemens to us," one of the Chinese delegation said, beaming at Mr von Pierer's attentions.
But the list of Mr von Pierer's achievements have been severely tarnished in the eyes of many by the twin scandals engulfing Siemens. Mr von Pierer denies any wrongdoing or knowledge of either scandal. But most of the events in a €426m ($580m) bribery affair and an investigation into whether Siemens financially supported a rival to its main trade union took place during his 13-year term as chief executive, which ended in 2005.
Questions arose not just about the competence of management and the company's controls but also as to Siemens' culture.
Mr von Pierer always denied a personal responsibility, arguing that business could not have a definition of the term like in politics. Instead he justified his resignation by hoping that it would allow the company to sail back to "calmer waters" and said he had always put Siemens and its 475,000 workers above personal considerations. Many praised his decision as selfless.
But there is no doubt that this was a wrenching decision for him to take. Just days ago he was telling friends still that we was "kampfbereit" - ready to fight. But private talks with several prominent directors from the labour side and shareholder bank - including Gerhard Cromme, the chairman of steelmaker ThyssenKrupp and his temporary successor - convinced him to go.
Many people close to Mr Kleinfeld felt frustrated about having his predecessor in the supervisory board watching over him and potentially blocking his ideas. But others are worried that there is no counterweight to Mr Kleinfeld now. "With von Pierer gone, who will check him? German companies are just not made for one person to have so much power," a former management board member at Siemens said.
Mr von Pierer said he would continue with his other mandates including being the innovation adviser to Chancellor Angela Merkel and board seats at Volks-wagen and Deutsche Bank. "I'm coming from a 60-hour week to one of perhaps 30-35 hours. As a pensioner I think that is enough."
Merkel says she wants to keep former Siemens chief as her senior business adviser
By Hugh Williamson
Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said yesterday that she would retain Heinrich von Pierer as her senior business adviser in spite of his resignation from Siemens' supervisory board, Hugh Williamson reports from Berlin.
Ms Merkel argued that Mr von Pierer "embodied" the positive values associated with the German engineering giant.
Other reactions were more negative, with Berthold Huber, deputy chairman of the IG Metall engineering union, arguing that the resignation was "long overdue". He added: "Now Siemens has a chance for a new beginning."
Josef Ackermann, chief executive of Deutsche Bank and deputy chairman of Siemens' supervisory board, expressed "huge regret" over Mr von Pierer's resignation, saying there remained "absolutely no doubt" about the former chairman's "personal integrity".
Mr von Pierer himself yesterday expressed bitterness over how he felt he had been treated by the media and by prosecutors investigating Siemens' corruption scandals. He used an e-mail to staff to attack the "sweeping judgments" about him that were "often not based on any facts".
Ms Merkel's spokesman said she "respected" Mr von Pierer's decision to step down but hoped that he would continue as chairman of the chancellor's "innovation council" of business leaders.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Friday, April 20, 2007
Siemens-Affäre Chronik einer Krise - Wirtschaft - sueddeutsche.de
Siemens-Affäre Chronik einer Krise - Wirtschaft - sueddeutsche.de
Es geht um Millionen Euro: Schmiergeldvorwürfe, Finanzen für zweifelhafte Arbeitnehmer-Vertreter und Kartellstrafen.
Es geht um Millionen Euro: Schmiergeldvorwürfe, Finanzen für zweifelhafte Arbeitnehmer-Vertreter und Kartellstrafen.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Frühjahrsgutachten Der Aufschwung geht weiter - Wirtschaft - sueddeutsche.de
Frühjahrsgutachten Der Aufschwung geht weiter - Wirtschaft - sueddeutsche.de
Die führenden Wirtschaftsforschungsinstitute erwarten in ihrem Frühjahrsgutachten für 2007 und 2008 ein stolzes Wachstum von jeweils 2,4 Prozent. Doch die Industrie ist besorgt über die Stärke des Euro.
Die führenden Wirtschaftsforschungsinstitute erwarten in ihrem Frühjahrsgutachten für 2007 und 2008 ein stolzes Wachstum von jeweils 2,4 Prozent. Doch die Industrie ist besorgt über die Stärke des Euro.
Auto, Industrie & Handel - Wirtschaft - FAZ.NET - Siemens-Aufsichtsrat: Rücktritt von Pierers kündigt sich an
Auto, Industrie & Handel - Wirtschaft - FAZ.NET - Siemens-Aufsichtsrat: Rücktritt von Pierers kündigt sich an
19. April 2007
Heinrich von Pierer, der Aufsichtsratsvorsitzende des Münchner Siemens-Konzerns, steht offenbar unmittelbar vor seinem Rücktritt. Nach Informationen der Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung und anderer Medien ist ein entsprechender Beschluss am Donnerstagabend gefallen. Ziel ist ein personeller Neuanfang in dem seit Monaten von einem Korruptionsskandal belasteten Unternehmen.
19. April 2007
Heinrich von Pierer, der Aufsichtsratsvorsitzende des Münchner Siemens-Konzerns, steht offenbar unmittelbar vor seinem Rücktritt. Nach Informationen der Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung und anderer Medien ist ein entsprechender Beschluss am Donnerstagabend gefallen. Ziel ist ein personeller Neuanfang in dem seit Monaten von einem Korruptionsskandal belasteten Unternehmen.
Bund - Politik - FAZ.NET - Staatsanwalt vermittelte RAF-Kontakt: „Klar würde als normaler Mörder nicht begnadigt“
Bund - Politik - FAZ.NET - Staatsanwalt vermittelte RAF-Kontakt: „Klar würde als normaler Mörder nicht begnadigt“
Der Stuttgarter Generalstaatsanwalt Klaus Pflieger hat den Kontakt aus Kreisen der einstigen RAF zu Michael Buback hergestellt. Es bleibe offen, ob die jüngsten Informationen auf das Gnadengesuch des früheren Terroristen Klars Einfluss hätten.
Der Stuttgarter Generalstaatsanwalt Klaus Pflieger hat den Kontakt aus Kreisen der einstigen RAF zu Michael Buback hergestellt. Es bleibe offen, ob die jüngsten Informationen auf das Gnadengesuch des früheren Terroristen Klars Einfluss hätten.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Pannenstatistik 2006 Deutsche Wertarbeit - Auto & Mobil - sueddeutsche.de
Pannenstatistik 2006 Deutsche Wertarbeit - Auto & Mobil - sueddeutsche.de
Das gab's schon lange nicht mehr: Aus Deutschland, so das Ergebnis der aktuellen ADAC-Pannenstatistik, kommen die zuverlässigsten Autos - sie liegen in sieben von acht Fahrzeugklassen an der Spitze.
Die deutschen Automobilhersteller bauen die pannensichersten Autos. Dies ist das Ergebnis der aktuellen ADAC-Pannenstatistik, für die 1,95 Millionen Pannen ausgewertet wurden, die die Gelben Engel des ADAC im vergangenen Jahr bewältigen mussten. Damit hat sich ein Trend bestätigt, der sich bereits in den letzten beiden Jahren abgezeichnet hatte. Mit Ausnahme der Minivan-Klasse, in der Mazda und Mitsubishi gemeinsam führen, kommen die restlichen sieben Klassensieger von Audi, Mercedes, BMW und Volkswagen.
Die Pannenquellen
Pannenquelle Nummer eins (460.876 Fälle) war wieder einmal die Batterie. Reifenpannen waren 135.645-mal der Grund, den ADAC zu Hilfe zu rufen. Bezogen auf Baugruppen entfielen über die Hälfte der Pannen auf Zündung und Elektrik. Es folgen Probleme mit dem Motor (7,9 Prozent), Rädern und Reifen (6,7 Prozent), Einspritzanlagen (6,6 Prozent), Kühlung und Heizung (6,0 Prozent) und dem Kraftstoffsystem (5,9 Prozent).
Auf der nächsten Seite finden Sie die Top Drei jeder Fahrzeugklasse und die große Ergebnistabelle
Kleine Klasse
Auf den ersten beiden Plätzen keine Veränderung zum Vorjahr: Der Audi A2 führt vor dem BMW Mini. Auffallend der Qualitätssprung bei Renault: Der Modus landet auf Platz drei.
Untere Mittelklasse
Klassenbester ist hier der 1er BMW vor dem Vorjahressieger Mazda 323 und dem Audi A3.
Mittelklasse
Das Siegertrio hat die Plätze getauscht. Audi A4, Mercedes C-Klasse und BMW 3er heißt die Reihenfolge 2006.
Obere Mittel-/Oberklasse
Audi A6 vor Mercedes E-Klasse und BMW 5er.
Sportwagen/Cabrios
In diesem nur vier Fahrzeuge kleinen Feld führt der Mercedes CLK. Es folgen BMW 3er-Cabrio, Mercedes SLK und der Peugeot 206 CC.
Geländewagen
BMW X3 und Mercedes ML haben den RAV4 von Toyota auf Platz drei verdrängt.
Vans/Minivans
Der besseren Vergleichbarkeit halber wurde diese Klasse in Vans und Minivans unterteilt. Die Minivans Mazda Premacy und Mitsubishi Space Star, beide nicht mehr im Verkaufsprogramm, liegen hier vor dem VW Touran, dessen größerer Bruder, der Sharan bei den Vans Platz eins belegt.
In die Wertung für die ADAC-Pannenstatistik kommen ein- bis sechsjährige Autos, die mindestens drei Jahre lang im Wesentlichen unverändert gebaut wurden und in einem Jahr 10.000 Neuzulassungen erreichten.
Das gab's schon lange nicht mehr: Aus Deutschland, so das Ergebnis der aktuellen ADAC-Pannenstatistik, kommen die zuverlässigsten Autos - sie liegen in sieben von acht Fahrzeugklassen an der Spitze.
Die deutschen Automobilhersteller bauen die pannensichersten Autos. Dies ist das Ergebnis der aktuellen ADAC-Pannenstatistik, für die 1,95 Millionen Pannen ausgewertet wurden, die die Gelben Engel des ADAC im vergangenen Jahr bewältigen mussten. Damit hat sich ein Trend bestätigt, der sich bereits in den letzten beiden Jahren abgezeichnet hatte. Mit Ausnahme der Minivan-Klasse, in der Mazda und Mitsubishi gemeinsam führen, kommen die restlichen sieben Klassensieger von Audi, Mercedes, BMW und Volkswagen.
Die Pannenquellen
Pannenquelle Nummer eins (460.876 Fälle) war wieder einmal die Batterie. Reifenpannen waren 135.645-mal der Grund, den ADAC zu Hilfe zu rufen. Bezogen auf Baugruppen entfielen über die Hälfte der Pannen auf Zündung und Elektrik. Es folgen Probleme mit dem Motor (7,9 Prozent), Rädern und Reifen (6,7 Prozent), Einspritzanlagen (6,6 Prozent), Kühlung und Heizung (6,0 Prozent) und dem Kraftstoffsystem (5,9 Prozent).
Auf der nächsten Seite finden Sie die Top Drei jeder Fahrzeugklasse und die große Ergebnistabelle
Kleine Klasse
Auf den ersten beiden Plätzen keine Veränderung zum Vorjahr: Der Audi A2 führt vor dem BMW Mini. Auffallend der Qualitätssprung bei Renault: Der Modus landet auf Platz drei.
Untere Mittelklasse
Klassenbester ist hier der 1er BMW vor dem Vorjahressieger Mazda 323 und dem Audi A3.
Mittelklasse
Das Siegertrio hat die Plätze getauscht. Audi A4, Mercedes C-Klasse und BMW 3er heißt die Reihenfolge 2006.
Obere Mittel-/Oberklasse
Audi A6 vor Mercedes E-Klasse und BMW 5er.
Sportwagen/Cabrios
In diesem nur vier Fahrzeuge kleinen Feld führt der Mercedes CLK. Es folgen BMW 3er-Cabrio, Mercedes SLK und der Peugeot 206 CC.
Geländewagen
BMW X3 und Mercedes ML haben den RAV4 von Toyota auf Platz drei verdrängt.
Vans/Minivans
Der besseren Vergleichbarkeit halber wurde diese Klasse in Vans und Minivans unterteilt. Die Minivans Mazda Premacy und Mitsubishi Space Star, beide nicht mehr im Verkaufsprogramm, liegen hier vor dem VW Touran, dessen größerer Bruder, der Sharan bei den Vans Platz eins belegt.
In die Wertung für die ADAC-Pannenstatistik kommen ein- bis sechsjährige Autos, die mindestens drei Jahre lang im Wesentlichen unverändert gebaut wurden und in einem Jahr 10.000 Neuzulassungen erreichten.
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - Buback-Mord wird neu untersucht
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - Buback-Mord wird neu untersucht
Die Bundesanwaltschaft will den neuen Hinweisen zur Aufklärung des Mordes an Generalbundesanwalt Siegfried Buback durch die RAF im Jahr 1977 nachgehen. Nach FTD-Informationen soll Ex-Terrorist Jürgen Boock vernommen werden.
Die Bundesanwaltschaft will den neuen Hinweisen zur Aufklärung des Mordes an Generalbundesanwalt Siegfried Buback durch die RAF im Jahr 1977 nachgehen. Nach FTD-Informationen soll Ex-Terrorist Jürgen Boock vernommen werden.
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - Institute erwarten für 2007 und 2008 Wachstum von 2,4 Prozent
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - Institute erwarten für 2007 und 2008 Wachstum von 2,4 Prozent
Die fünf führenden Wirtschaftsforschungsinstitute rechnen mit einem ungebrochen starken Wirtschaftswachstum in Deutschland. In den Jahren 2007 und 2008 wird das Bruttoinlandsprodukt nach ihren Berechnungen jeweils um 2,4 Prozent zunehmen.
Das geht aus dem Gutachten hervor, das die Ökonomen am Donnerstag vorstellen wollen und das der FTD bereits vorliegt. Im Herbst 2006 hatten die Forscher noch einen Zuwachs der Wirtschaftskraft um 1,4 Prozent für 2007 erwartet. Die Zahl der Menschen ohne Arbeit soll nach den Annahmen in den beiden Jahren deutlich abnehmen. Die Arbeitslosenquote werde zunächst auf 8,7 Prozent und dann 2008 auf 8,0 Prozent sinken, die Verbraucherpreise sollten dagegen sowohl im laufenden als auch im kommenden Jahr um 1,8 Prozent steigen.
Nach den Erwartungen der Forscher wird Deutschland 2008 erstmals seit Jahrzehnten ohne neue Schulden auskommen. Die Experten der Institute erwarten für 2008 eine Defizitquote von 0 Prozent, 2007 werde sie noch bei 0,6 Prozent liegen.
Tempo lässt nach
"Der konjunkturelle Aufschwung in Deutschland hat sich nach der Jahreswende 2006/2007 fortgesetzt. Allerdings hat sich das Tempo etwas vermindert", urteilen die Forscher in ihrem Bericht. Offnbar sei die Dynamik der Konjunktur hoch genug, um die dämpfenden fiskalischen Effekte durch die gestiegene Mehrwertsteuer zu überspielen.
Die Institute legen ihren Prognosen im Gutachten mehrere Annahmen zugrunde. So rechnen sie damit, dass sich der Ölpreis bis Ende 2008 bei einem Wert von rund 65 $ hält, der Welthandel um rund 7,5 Prozent ansteigt und der Euro rund 1,32 $ kosten wird.
Die Europäische Zentralbank wird nach ihrer Einschätzung den Leitzins Mitte 2007 um 25 Basispunkte auf dann vier Prozent anheben und ihn im kommenden Jahr unverändert lassen. Wie es in dem Gutachten weiter heißt, rechnen die Ökonomen damit, dass die tariflichen Stundenlöhne im laufenden Jahr im gesamtwirtschaftlichen Durchschnitt um zwei und im kommenden Jahr um 2,8 Prozent steigen.
Die Unternehmen zögen 2007 zudem Investitionen in Höhe von etwa 2,5 Mrd. Euro vor, um die noch bis zum Jahresende geltenden Regelungen zur degressiven Abschreibung noch mitzunehmen.
Die fünf führenden Wirtschaftsforschungsinstitute rechnen mit einem ungebrochen starken Wirtschaftswachstum in Deutschland. In den Jahren 2007 und 2008 wird das Bruttoinlandsprodukt nach ihren Berechnungen jeweils um 2,4 Prozent zunehmen.
Das geht aus dem Gutachten hervor, das die Ökonomen am Donnerstag vorstellen wollen und das der FTD bereits vorliegt. Im Herbst 2006 hatten die Forscher noch einen Zuwachs der Wirtschaftskraft um 1,4 Prozent für 2007 erwartet. Die Zahl der Menschen ohne Arbeit soll nach den Annahmen in den beiden Jahren deutlich abnehmen. Die Arbeitslosenquote werde zunächst auf 8,7 Prozent und dann 2008 auf 8,0 Prozent sinken, die Verbraucherpreise sollten dagegen sowohl im laufenden als auch im kommenden Jahr um 1,8 Prozent steigen.
Nach den Erwartungen der Forscher wird Deutschland 2008 erstmals seit Jahrzehnten ohne neue Schulden auskommen. Die Experten der Institute erwarten für 2008 eine Defizitquote von 0 Prozent, 2007 werde sie noch bei 0,6 Prozent liegen.
Tempo lässt nach
"Der konjunkturelle Aufschwung in Deutschland hat sich nach der Jahreswende 2006/2007 fortgesetzt. Allerdings hat sich das Tempo etwas vermindert", urteilen die Forscher in ihrem Bericht. Offnbar sei die Dynamik der Konjunktur hoch genug, um die dämpfenden fiskalischen Effekte durch die gestiegene Mehrwertsteuer zu überspielen.
Die Institute legen ihren Prognosen im Gutachten mehrere Annahmen zugrunde. So rechnen sie damit, dass sich der Ölpreis bis Ende 2008 bei einem Wert von rund 65 $ hält, der Welthandel um rund 7,5 Prozent ansteigt und der Euro rund 1,32 $ kosten wird.
Die Europäische Zentralbank wird nach ihrer Einschätzung den Leitzins Mitte 2007 um 25 Basispunkte auf dann vier Prozent anheben und ihn im kommenden Jahr unverändert lassen. Wie es in dem Gutachten weiter heißt, rechnen die Ökonomen damit, dass die tariflichen Stundenlöhne im laufenden Jahr im gesamtwirtschaftlichen Durchschnitt um zwei und im kommenden Jahr um 2,8 Prozent steigen.
Die Unternehmen zögen 2007 zudem Investitionen in Höhe von etwa 2,5 Mrd. Euro vor, um die noch bis zum Jahresende geltenden Regelungen zur degressiven Abschreibung noch mitzunehmen.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - Buback-Sohn befürwortet Klars Begnadigung
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - Buback-Sohn befürwortet Klars Begnadigung
Der Sohn des von der RAF getöteten Generalbundesanwalts Siegfried Buback hat sich indirekt für eine Begnadigung des ehemaligen Terroristen Christian Klar ausgesprochen. Ihm liegen neue Erkenntnisse zu dem Mord vor.
Der Sohn des von der RAF getöteten Generalbundesanwalts Siegfried Buback hat sich indirekt für eine Begnadigung des ehemaligen Terroristen Christian Klar ausgesprochen. Ihm liegen neue Erkenntnisse zu dem Mord vor.
Von der Kunst, ein Buch nicht zu verkaufen Der blasse Neid - Kultur - sueddeutsche.de
Von der Kunst, ein Buch nicht zu verkaufen Der blasse Neid - Kultur - sueddeutsche.de
Elfriede Jelinek schreibt einen "Privatroman" und stellt ihn ins Netz - und zwar nur dorthin: "Irgendwas muss die Kultur ja endgültig
Elfriede Jelinek schreibt einen "Privatroman" und stellt ihn ins Netz - und zwar nur dorthin: "Irgendwas muss die Kultur ja endgültig
Monday, April 16, 2007
Die RAF für Kino und Wohnzimmer Martina Gedeck soll Ulrike Meinhof werden - Kultur - sueddeutsche.de
Die RAF für Kino und Wohnzimmer Martina Gedeck soll Ulrike Meinhof werden - Kultur - sueddeutsche.de
Bernd Eichinger plant, die Erfolgscrew seiner "Elementarteilchen" nun für eine Verfilmung der RAF-Geschichte zu gewinnen. Neben der Oscar-erfahrenen Gedeck sollen Moritz Bleibtreu und Nina Hoss in die Rollen von Terroristen schlüpfen.
Bernd Eichinger plant, die Erfolgscrew seiner "Elementarteilchen" nun für eine Verfilmung der RAF-Geschichte zu gewinnen. Neben der Oscar-erfahrenen Gedeck sollen Moritz Bleibtreu und Nina Hoss in die Rollen von Terroristen schlüpfen.
FT.com / Columnists / European View - Worst job in Germany – Deutsche Telekom chief
FT.com / Columnists / European View - Worst job in Germany – Deutsche Telekom chief
Worst job in Germany – Deutsche Telekom chief
Published: April 16 2007 19:12 | Last updated: April 16 2007 19:12
All the economic indicators are showing that Germany is booming again. Even the Germans are starting to believe that the recovery is for real.
Yet this is probably the worst macroeconomic scenario for any German chief executive wanting to cut labour costs. And this is the challenge facing René Obermann at Deutsche Telekom.
The German telecoms incumbent has been crippled by costs. This is both a genetic problem and one of its own making. Genetic, because it has been tied too closely to the government’s hip with its mass of highly paid – many would say overpaid – civil servants. Worse, the government continues to be the group’s biggest shareholder, and, as such, would like to see an improvement in the dismal performance of the company’s shares, but is reluctant to endorse too radical a restructuring of its bloated German cost base.
The company also has itself to blame. In better times, previous managements preferred to avoid addressing this all too obvious issue even when embarking on a big international acquisition binge in the late 1990s. The day of reckoning has finally come and Mr Obermann, the new chief executive, is trying to push through a cost-cutting programme that will probably not settle the problem altogether. But it could at least buy the company a couple of years to put together a further round of restructuring to resolve its domestic cost handicap.
Much will depend on union attitudes. So far, the powerful Verdi services and telecoms labour confederation is threatening a national strike if the group goes ahead with its plans to transfer some 50,000 German call centre employees to a new company where they will be paid 40-50 per cent less than at Deutsche Telekom. The move is designed to avoid job cuts and align these workers with the lower pay employees at competing German telecom companies receive.
Deutsche Telekom has a good argument. Why should the Verdi union oppose the salary cuts at Deutsche Telekom while endorsing the lower pay at competing companies? The union also risks another dilemma. If it does call a real strike – not the current well-orchestrated token protests that are part of the normal negotiating ritual in German labour relations – it would not only be a rare event but a disaster for Deutsche Telekom’s management and Mr Obermann.
This is unlikely to be in the union’s interest. A strike would probably force the company to issue yet another profit warning. After already issuing a warning in February, Mr Obermann would not be expected to survive a second. The government would then have to appoint a new management that would inevitably have to take a far more radical line to prevent the company sinking even lower.
Under the circumstances, the union is ultimately expected to reach a compromise with Mr Obermann. He deserves it for taking on the worst job in German industry.
Swiss resistance
Hostile takeovers in banking are rare. They are even less common in insurance, and all but unknown among reinsurers. So when one does suddenly occur in the normally gentlemanly world of reinsurance, it is hardly surprising that it should turn into a personal, below-the-belt affair.
All the more so when it involves two unloved companies that have only recently rebounded from a period of intense financial difficulties. Scor opened hostilities last month when the French reinsurer launched an unsolicited bid for its Swiss rival Converium. The French company had accumulated a 32.9 per cent stake, including buying a big Converium stake held by Swiss raider Martin Ebner.
That was a bad start, especially since Converium’s management thought Mr Ebner was an ally, considering the way he had earlier praised the group’s recovery. But while the two opposing camps probably consider that consolidation is the way forward for their businesses, the Swiss company’s management and board have been doing everything they can to frustrate the French and a bid they consider undervalues their group – one minute resisting, one moment looking for a white knight and the next saying they would prefer to remain independent.
The French are becoming increasingly frustrated since they believe – with their 32.9 per cent stake – they are in a strong position and it will only be a matter of time before they secure their Swiss prize. They also suspect the Swiss board has everything to gain from its delaying tactics because of the extra compensation board members will earn from the additional work in connection with the takeover offer. The longer this lasts, the more they will get.
Converium’s board and management do not want the French bid. That said, did board members really need to be granted extra compensation? They can claim this is not uncommon in Switzerland and that they are having to work longer hours. But when you take on a directorship, one of your main tasks is to look after the interests of all your shareholders in any situation – especially a takeover.
India outbound
Just as international investors are piling into India, the industrialists of the sub-continent are heading in the opposite direction.
Indian outbound deals this year reached $10.1bn as of last Friday, about four times higher than a year earlier, according to Thomson Financial – and this was before the announcement of the latest mega-deal, Essar Global’s C$1.8bn (US$1.6bn) offer for Canada’s Algoma Steel.
The deal means Essar Global, which controls India’s fourth largest steel maker, Essar Steel, has beaten rivals, such as Tata Steel and Jindal Steel, in the race to become the first Indian steelmaker to directly enter North America. Like its rivals, Essar is ramping up domestic output, with plans to double its capacity to 8.5m tonnes per annum by 2009. The Algoma deal will add another 2.4m tonnes.
A fully integrated producer with access to its own supplies of raw materials, such as iron ore, Essar will be hoping to use Algoma to channel much of its new Indian production to producers such as General Motors and Ford in North America.
By moving offshore, Essar will also be diversifying its India exposure.
But questions remain over the financing. At about 7 times earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation, Essar is getting Algoma for less than the nine times ebitda Tata Steel paid for Anglo-Dutch producer Corus.
But Essar Steel’s debt/equity is a high 5.7 times. Even more than Tata, Essar will be hoping the steel price cycle remains buoyant.
joseph.leahy@ftbombay.
Sir Fred joins the fray
Sir Fred Goodwin is ready to throw off his chastity belt and join Fortis and Santander in ravishing ABN Amro. As recently as a year ago, the prospect of Royal Bank of Scotland’s chief executive joining a complex consortium bid for a continental European rival would have worried investors.
But on the – admittedly early – evidence of morning trading on Monday, shareholders are unconcerned. There are three reasons for their sang-froid. One is relief. Far from trying to gobble up the whole of ABN, RBS is taking aim only at the Dutch company’s investment banking and US retail operations.
A second, more positive, reason for bidding up RBS stock is that the savings that Sir Fred should be able to squeeze from that combination are greater than those available to most rivals, including Barclays, which remains ABN’s preferred partner. Combining LaSalle, ABN’s US retail bank, with Charter One, the Scottish bank’s American network, is the sort of transaction that used to be meat and drink to Sir Fred before he took his vow of abstinence.
The RBS gambit is also tactically shrewd. ABN Amro was already under pressure to dismember itself. If the Barclays deal falls through, RBS has staked a claim to the investment banking and US retail divisions, even if the other members of the consortium are unable to complete their bits of the bargain (Fortis’s attempt to take on ABN’s Dutch retail operations may be problematic, for instance).
Of course, there are risks. Chief among them is that Sir Fred, his appetite encouraged by his near-two-year fast, will overpay. ABN’s share price was also up sharply on Monday morning. Panmure Gordon warned in a note that a price-to-tangible book multiple of near five times echoed the dilutive price paid for Charter One, and could jeopardise RBS’s improving returns. andrew.hill@ft.com
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Worst job in Germany – Deutsche Telekom chief
Published: April 16 2007 19:12 | Last updated: April 16 2007 19:12
All the economic indicators are showing that Germany is booming again. Even the Germans are starting to believe that the recovery is for real.
Yet this is probably the worst macroeconomic scenario for any German chief executive wanting to cut labour costs. And this is the challenge facing René Obermann at Deutsche Telekom.
The German telecoms incumbent has been crippled by costs. This is both a genetic problem and one of its own making. Genetic, because it has been tied too closely to the government’s hip with its mass of highly paid – many would say overpaid – civil servants. Worse, the government continues to be the group’s biggest shareholder, and, as such, would like to see an improvement in the dismal performance of the company’s shares, but is reluctant to endorse too radical a restructuring of its bloated German cost base.
The company also has itself to blame. In better times, previous managements preferred to avoid addressing this all too obvious issue even when embarking on a big international acquisition binge in the late 1990s. The day of reckoning has finally come and Mr Obermann, the new chief executive, is trying to push through a cost-cutting programme that will probably not settle the problem altogether. But it could at least buy the company a couple of years to put together a further round of restructuring to resolve its domestic cost handicap.
Much will depend on union attitudes. So far, the powerful Verdi services and telecoms labour confederation is threatening a national strike if the group goes ahead with its plans to transfer some 50,000 German call centre employees to a new company where they will be paid 40-50 per cent less than at Deutsche Telekom. The move is designed to avoid job cuts and align these workers with the lower pay employees at competing German telecom companies receive.
Deutsche Telekom has a good argument. Why should the Verdi union oppose the salary cuts at Deutsche Telekom while endorsing the lower pay at competing companies? The union also risks another dilemma. If it does call a real strike – not the current well-orchestrated token protests that are part of the normal negotiating ritual in German labour relations – it would not only be a rare event but a disaster for Deutsche Telekom’s management and Mr Obermann.
This is unlikely to be in the union’s interest. A strike would probably force the company to issue yet another profit warning. After already issuing a warning in February, Mr Obermann would not be expected to survive a second. The government would then have to appoint a new management that would inevitably have to take a far more radical line to prevent the company sinking even lower.
Under the circumstances, the union is ultimately expected to reach a compromise with Mr Obermann. He deserves it for taking on the worst job in German industry.
Swiss resistance
Hostile takeovers in banking are rare. They are even less common in insurance, and all but unknown among reinsurers. So when one does suddenly occur in the normally gentlemanly world of reinsurance, it is hardly surprising that it should turn into a personal, below-the-belt affair.
All the more so when it involves two unloved companies that have only recently rebounded from a period of intense financial difficulties. Scor opened hostilities last month when the French reinsurer launched an unsolicited bid for its Swiss rival Converium. The French company had accumulated a 32.9 per cent stake, including buying a big Converium stake held by Swiss raider Martin Ebner.
That was a bad start, especially since Converium’s management thought Mr Ebner was an ally, considering the way he had earlier praised the group’s recovery. But while the two opposing camps probably consider that consolidation is the way forward for their businesses, the Swiss company’s management and board have been doing everything they can to frustrate the French and a bid they consider undervalues their group – one minute resisting, one moment looking for a white knight and the next saying they would prefer to remain independent.
The French are becoming increasingly frustrated since they believe – with their 32.9 per cent stake – they are in a strong position and it will only be a matter of time before they secure their Swiss prize. They also suspect the Swiss board has everything to gain from its delaying tactics because of the extra compensation board members will earn from the additional work in connection with the takeover offer. The longer this lasts, the more they will get.
Converium’s board and management do not want the French bid. That said, did board members really need to be granted extra compensation? They can claim this is not uncommon in Switzerland and that they are having to work longer hours. But when you take on a directorship, one of your main tasks is to look after the interests of all your shareholders in any situation – especially a takeover.
India outbound
Just as international investors are piling into India, the industrialists of the sub-continent are heading in the opposite direction.
Indian outbound deals this year reached $10.1bn as of last Friday, about four times higher than a year earlier, according to Thomson Financial – and this was before the announcement of the latest mega-deal, Essar Global’s C$1.8bn (US$1.6bn) offer for Canada’s Algoma Steel.
The deal means Essar Global, which controls India’s fourth largest steel maker, Essar Steel, has beaten rivals, such as Tata Steel and Jindal Steel, in the race to become the first Indian steelmaker to directly enter North America. Like its rivals, Essar is ramping up domestic output, with plans to double its capacity to 8.5m tonnes per annum by 2009. The Algoma deal will add another 2.4m tonnes.
A fully integrated producer with access to its own supplies of raw materials, such as iron ore, Essar will be hoping to use Algoma to channel much of its new Indian production to producers such as General Motors and Ford in North America.
By moving offshore, Essar will also be diversifying its India exposure.
But questions remain over the financing. At about 7 times earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation, Essar is getting Algoma for less than the nine times ebitda Tata Steel paid for Anglo-Dutch producer Corus.
But Essar Steel’s debt/equity is a high 5.7 times. Even more than Tata, Essar will be hoping the steel price cycle remains buoyant.
joseph.leahy@ftbombay.
Sir Fred joins the fray
Sir Fred Goodwin is ready to throw off his chastity belt and join Fortis and Santander in ravishing ABN Amro. As recently as a year ago, the prospect of Royal Bank of Scotland’s chief executive joining a complex consortium bid for a continental European rival would have worried investors.
But on the – admittedly early – evidence of morning trading on Monday, shareholders are unconcerned. There are three reasons for their sang-froid. One is relief. Far from trying to gobble up the whole of ABN, RBS is taking aim only at the Dutch company’s investment banking and US retail operations.
A second, more positive, reason for bidding up RBS stock is that the savings that Sir Fred should be able to squeeze from that combination are greater than those available to most rivals, including Barclays, which remains ABN’s preferred partner. Combining LaSalle, ABN’s US retail bank, with Charter One, the Scottish bank’s American network, is the sort of transaction that used to be meat and drink to Sir Fred before he took his vow of abstinence.
The RBS gambit is also tactically shrewd. ABN Amro was already under pressure to dismember itself. If the Barclays deal falls through, RBS has staked a claim to the investment banking and US retail divisions, even if the other members of the consortium are unable to complete their bits of the bargain (Fortis’s attempt to take on ABN’s Dutch retail operations may be problematic, for instance).
Of course, there are risks. Chief among them is that Sir Fred, his appetite encouraged by his near-two-year fast, will overpay. ABN’s share price was also up sharply on Monday morning. Panmure Gordon warned in a note that a price-to-tangible book multiple of near five times echoed the dilutive price paid for Charter One, and could jeopardise RBS’s improving returns. andrew.hill@ft.com
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Filbinger-Rede: Ärger über Oettingers Rechtfertigung - Politik - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
Filbinger-Rede: Ärger über Oettingers Rechtfertigung - Politik - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
Er bedauert "Missverständnisse", aber zu einer Entschuldigung reichte es nicht: Mit seinem offenen Brief hat Baden-Württembergs Ministerpräsident Günther Oettinger die Empörung über seine Filbinger-Rede noch verschärft. Die Rücktrittsforderungen werden nun immer massiver.
Er bedauert "Missverständnisse", aber zu einer Entschuldigung reichte es nicht: Mit seinem offenen Brief hat Baden-Württembergs Ministerpräsident Günther Oettinger die Empörung über seine Filbinger-Rede noch verschärft. Die Rücktrittsforderungen werden nun immer massiver.
Friday, April 13, 2007
März-Schätzung: Experten rechnen mit sensationell hohen Steuereinnahmen - Wirtschaft - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
März-Schätzung: Experten rechnen mit sensationell hohen Steuereinnahmen - Wirtschaft - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
Angedeutet hatte es sich schon, jetzt ist es quasi amtlich: Die Steuereinnahmen sind nach Informationen aus dem Finanzministerium im März um 16,4 Prozent gegenüber dem Vorjahresmonat gestiegen. Für Experten ein Zeichen, dass die Konjunktur "noch stärker brummt als gedacht".
Angedeutet hatte es sich schon, jetzt ist es quasi amtlich: Die Steuereinnahmen sind nach Informationen aus dem Finanzministerium im März um 16,4 Prozent gegenüber dem Vorjahresmonat gestiegen. Für Experten ein Zeichen, dass die Konjunktur "noch stärker brummt als gedacht".
Filbinger-Verteidigung: Merkel und FDP rügen Oettingers Trauerrede - Politik - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
Filbinger-Verteidigung: Merkel und FDP rügen Oettingers Trauerrede - Politik - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
Erst die jüdische Gemeinde, dann die Opposition, jetzt die Kanzlerin und der Koalitionspartner FDP: Die Kritik an der Trauerrede von Ministerpräsident Oettinger für Amtsvorgänger Filbinger wird immer lauter. Das Simon-Wiesenthal-Zentrum fordert den Rücktritt des CDU-Politikers.
Erst die jüdische Gemeinde, dann die Opposition, jetzt die Kanzlerin und der Koalitionspartner FDP: Die Kritik an der Trauerrede von Ministerpräsident Oettinger für Amtsvorgänger Filbinger wird immer lauter. Das Simon-Wiesenthal-Zentrum fordert den Rücktritt des CDU-Politikers.
Günther Oettinger Gefährliche Ausflüge in die Historie - Deutschland - sueddeutsche.de
Günther Oettinger Gefährliche Ausflüge in die Historie - Deutschland - sueddeutsche.de
"Das Blöde ist, es kommt kein Krieg mehr": Baden-Württembergs Regierungschef erlangte schon häufiger Aufmerksamkeit mit seltsamen Sätzen.
"Das Blöde ist, es kommt kein Krieg mehr": Baden-Württembergs Regierungschef erlangte schon häufiger Aufmerksamkeit mit seltsamen Sätzen.
Hintergründe - Feuilleton - FAZ.NET - Papst-Buch „Jesus von Nazareth“: Ratzingers dramatischer Befund
Hintergründe - Feuilleton - FAZ.NET - Papst-Buch „Jesus von Nazareth“: Ratzingers dramatischer Befund
13. April 2007
Der literarische Kunstgriff des Papstes besteht darin, ein Buch über „Jesus von Nazareth“ (Herder Verlag) gleichsam als Privatgelehrter verfasst zu haben, also nicht als Benedikt XVI., sondern als Joseph Ratzinger. Geht das überhaupt? Dem Autor scheint klar zu sein, dass das nur zur Hälfte geht. Sein Vorwort hat er jedenfalls vorsichtshalber mit beiden Namen unterschrieben, mit dem bürgerlichen und dem päpstlichen, in dieser Reihenfolge.
13. April 2007
Der literarische Kunstgriff des Papstes besteht darin, ein Buch über „Jesus von Nazareth“ (Herder Verlag) gleichsam als Privatgelehrter verfasst zu haben, also nicht als Benedikt XVI., sondern als Joseph Ratzinger. Geht das überhaupt? Dem Autor scheint klar zu sein, dass das nur zur Hälfte geht. Sein Vorwort hat er jedenfalls vorsichtshalber mit beiden Namen unterschrieben, mit dem bürgerlichen und dem päpstlichen, in dieser Reihenfolge.
Länder - Politik - FAZ.NET - Hans Filbinger: In den Strömungen der Zeit
Länder - Politik - FAZ.NET - Hans Filbinger: In den Strömungen der Zeit
13. April 2007
Der „Fall Filbinger“ war die Folge eines Artikels von Rolf Hochhuth in der Hamburger Wochenzeitung „Die Zeit“. Am 17. Februar 1978 beschimpfte der durch das Theaterstück „Der Stellvertreter“ (1963) bekannt gewordene Autor den Ministerpräsidenten Baden-Württembergs als „Hitlers Marine-Richter, der sogar noch in britischer Kriegsgefangenschaft nach Hitlers Tod einen deutschen Matrosen mit Nazi-Gesetzen verfolgt“ habe. Filbinger sei ein „furchtbarer Jurist“ gewesen, vermutlich „auf freiem Fuß nur dank des Schweigens derer, die ihn kannten“.
13. April 2007
Der „Fall Filbinger“ war die Folge eines Artikels von Rolf Hochhuth in der Hamburger Wochenzeitung „Die Zeit“. Am 17. Februar 1978 beschimpfte der durch das Theaterstück „Der Stellvertreter“ (1963) bekannt gewordene Autor den Ministerpräsidenten Baden-Württembergs als „Hitlers Marine-Richter, der sogar noch in britischer Kriegsgefangenschaft nach Hitlers Tod einen deutschen Matrosen mit Nazi-Gesetzen verfolgt“ habe. Filbinger sei ein „furchtbarer Jurist“ gewesen, vermutlich „auf freiem Fuß nur dank des Schweigens derer, die ihn kannten“.
FT.com / World - Germany in push to set G8 emissions target
FT.com / World - Germany in push to set G8 emissions target
Germany in push to set G8 emissions target
By Alan Beattie in London and Hugh Williamson in Berlin
Published: April 13 2007 03:00 | Last updated: April 13 2007 03:00
Germany, this year's chair of the Group of Eight rich countries, has pushed the group to set a tough target for reducing carbon emissions, the first time it has been asked to commit to an explicit reduction.
But environmentalists said the World Bank, which the G8 has asked to finance the shift away from carbon use in the developing world, was continuing to ramp up lending for oil and gas.
A February draft of the final communiqué of the June heads of government meeting, obtained by the Financial Times, says: "Global warming caused largely by human activities is accelerating . . . beyond a temperature increase of 2 degrees C, risks from climate change will be largely unmanageable."
The draft said the G8 would "contribute our fair share" to limit global warming by ensuring global greenhouse gas emissions peaked in the next 10-15 years and then cutting them 50 per cent by 2050 from 1990 levels.
The US has dismissed calls for limits as "rhetoric". People in Berlin familiar with the German position said the 2°C limit to global warming remained in more recent drafts of the communiqué, but was facing "extremely strong opposition" from Washington, which was fighting its inclusion in the final draft.
The Germans and the British "would like to retain this language, but it will be very difficult", one person said.
The G8 has in the past called on the World Bank to fund greener energy generation in the developing world. Analysis of the bank's data for its lending in 2006 by the Bank Information Center, a Washington-based campaign group, showed lending to the fossil fuel industry rose by 93 per cent in 2006, compared with an increase of only 46 per cent in lending for renewable energy and conservation projects.
"There is a disconnect between what the G8 keeps saying and what the World Bank is doing," said Graham Saul, director of international programmes at the BIC. "Funding the expansion of the oil industry is a role the bank has played since the 1970s and it has been a great cash cow for them."
Jamal Saghir, director of energy for the World Bank, said the upward trend in the share of the bank's lending for control of carbon emissions was clear.
Renewable energy and energy efficiency projects had risen to 37 per cent of the World Bank Group's energy portfolio from just 14 per cent in 1994. "The bank is a world leader in lending for renewable energy and energy efficiency," he said. It had matched and beaten the target it had been set of increasing such lending by 20 per cent a year, Mr Saghir said.
The bank group as a whole includes its private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation, which has funded several controversial oil and gas pipelines in the developing world.
The G8 heads of government meet in June to discuss climate change, the world economy, trade and foreign policy. The communiqué also contains a strongly worded attack on "investment protectionism", which it says is imperilling the continued integration of the global economy.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Germany in push to set G8 emissions target
By Alan Beattie in London and Hugh Williamson in Berlin
Published: April 13 2007 03:00 | Last updated: April 13 2007 03:00
Germany, this year's chair of the Group of Eight rich countries, has pushed the group to set a tough target for reducing carbon emissions, the first time it has been asked to commit to an explicit reduction.
But environmentalists said the World Bank, which the G8 has asked to finance the shift away from carbon use in the developing world, was continuing to ramp up lending for oil and gas.
A February draft of the final communiqué of the June heads of government meeting, obtained by the Financial Times, says: "Global warming caused largely by human activities is accelerating . . . beyond a temperature increase of 2 degrees C, risks from climate change will be largely unmanageable."
The draft said the G8 would "contribute our fair share" to limit global warming by ensuring global greenhouse gas emissions peaked in the next 10-15 years and then cutting them 50 per cent by 2050 from 1990 levels.
The US has dismissed calls for limits as "rhetoric". People in Berlin familiar with the German position said the 2°C limit to global warming remained in more recent drafts of the communiqué, but was facing "extremely strong opposition" from Washington, which was fighting its inclusion in the final draft.
The Germans and the British "would like to retain this language, but it will be very difficult", one person said.
The G8 has in the past called on the World Bank to fund greener energy generation in the developing world. Analysis of the bank's data for its lending in 2006 by the Bank Information Center, a Washington-based campaign group, showed lending to the fossil fuel industry rose by 93 per cent in 2006, compared with an increase of only 46 per cent in lending for renewable energy and conservation projects.
"There is a disconnect between what the G8 keeps saying and what the World Bank is doing," said Graham Saul, director of international programmes at the BIC. "Funding the expansion of the oil industry is a role the bank has played since the 1970s and it has been a great cash cow for them."
Jamal Saghir, director of energy for the World Bank, said the upward trend in the share of the bank's lending for control of carbon emissions was clear.
Renewable energy and energy efficiency projects had risen to 37 per cent of the World Bank Group's energy portfolio from just 14 per cent in 1994. "The bank is a world leader in lending for renewable energy and energy efficiency," he said. It had matched and beaten the target it had been set of increasing such lending by 20 per cent a year, Mr Saghir said.
The bank group as a whole includes its private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation, which has funded several controversial oil and gas pipelines in the developing world.
The G8 heads of government meet in June to discuss climate change, the world economy, trade and foreign policy. The communiqué also contains a strongly worded attack on "investment protectionism", which it says is imperilling the continued integration of the global economy.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Passfotos und Fingerabdrücke: Schäuble-Plan schockiert die Genossen - Politik - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
Passfotos und Fingerabdrücke: Schäuble-Plan schockiert die Genossen - Politik - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
Schäubles Sicherheitspläne entwickeln sich zu einem Sprengsatz für die Koalition: Der Innenminister will, dass die Polizei online auf Millionen Passfotos zugreifen darf, zudem sollen Fingerabdrücke aller Bürger gespeichert werden. Die SPD spricht von einer Provokation.
Schäubles Sicherheitspläne entwickeln sich zu einem Sprengsatz für die Koalition: Der Innenminister will, dass die Polizei online auf Millionen Passfotos zugreifen darf, zudem sollen Fingerabdrücke aller Bürger gespeichert werden. Die SPD spricht von einer Provokation.
FTD.de - Industrie - Nachrichten - Porsche ist kein Einzelfall - wo in Deutschland Werke wachsen
FTD.de - Industrie - Nachrichten - Porsche ist kein Einzelfall - wo in Deutschland Werke wachsen
Mit seiner neuen Montagehalle in Leipzig steht Porsche nicht alleine da. Trotz der Abwanderungen nach Asien und Osteuropa werden nach wie vor Milliardensummen in deutsche Produktionsstätten gesteckt. Wo seit 2000 "Leuchttürme" entstanden - und was daraus geworden ist.
Mit seiner neuen Montagehalle in Leipzig steht Porsche nicht alleine da. Trotz der Abwanderungen nach Asien und Osteuropa werden nach wie vor Milliardensummen in deutsche Produktionsstätten gesteckt. Wo seit 2000 "Leuchttürme" entstanden - und was daraus geworden ist.
FT.com / In depth - Germany demands China signs oil pact
FT.com / In depth - Germany demands China signs oil pact
Germany demands China signs oil pact
By Hugh Williamson in Berlin
Published: April 12 2007 18:01 Last updated: April 12 2007 18:01
An international initiative to promote transparency in the oil industry’s often-murky finances will fail unless China participates, a German official said on Thursday.
The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, supported by more than 30 governments and 25 oil, gas and mining companies, will achieve a “level playing field” against corruption only if Beijing joins, said Bernd Pfaffenbach, envoy to the Group of Eight industrial states for Angela Merkel, German chancellor.
The EITI will win full backing this year from the G8 and possibly from the United Nations, according to Mr Pfaffenbach and EITI officials. The envoys from all G8 countries had recently “expressed concern” over China’s booming investments in Africa’s energy sector, and Beijing should be “made to feel more responsible” for its development impact, said Mr Pfaffenbach.
He told members of the EITI board, meeting in Berlin, that while “open China-bashing” should be avoided, the operations of China’s state-run energy companies were problematic.
Beijing is not a signatory to the EITI, under which resource-rich states – mostly in Africa and central Asia – are meant to publish details of revenues received from energy companies. Such action should discourage the misuse or disappearance of revenues – a process said to have blighted economic development in countries such as Nigeria and Angola.
China is responsible for 40 per cent of the growth in oil demand since 2003, say EITI officials. Its recent energy investments in Angola and Sudan have been criticised as nontransparent and environmentally damaging.
Peter Eigen, EITI chairman, said China should do more, but predicted it would “catch up slowly. It is important to engage with, not demonise, the country.”
Mr Pfaffenbach welcomed the EITI’s rapid growth since its launch in 2002 by Tony Blair, the British prime minister, but said it needed an “independent validation process” to ensure signatory countries and companies were complying with the voluntary initiative.
An internal EITI report admits that 16 of the 26 resource-rich nations listed on its website as being committed to its principles “appear not to have met ... indicators” necessary for even starting the validation process. Only Nigeria and Azerbaijan are near to full compliance. Eight western governments are also members. Non-government organisations on the EITI board accused energy companies of using the board meeting to delay by six months implementation of validation steps to protect business interests. “This feet-dragging is unfortunate,” said Gavin Hayman, of the pressure group Global Witness.
Edward Bickham, vice-president of the mining group Anglo-American, said the EITI had to move cautiously. “African governments have welcomed China’s advance because [it] does less finger-wagging” than the west over governance standards, he said.
Mr Eigen said pressure was needed as some EITI countries such as the Republic of Congo were “behaving very badly”. Police there had repeatedly arrested an NGO activist on the EITI board.
The idea that China would lift governance standards in the near future was naive, said energy specialists. Mr Pfaffenbach said Beijing would be invited to a Berlin conference this year on energy sector transparency.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Germany demands China signs oil pact
By Hugh Williamson in Berlin
Published: April 12 2007 18:01 Last updated: April 12 2007 18:01
An international initiative to promote transparency in the oil industry’s often-murky finances will fail unless China participates, a German official said on Thursday.
The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, supported by more than 30 governments and 25 oil, gas and mining companies, will achieve a “level playing field” against corruption only if Beijing joins, said Bernd Pfaffenbach, envoy to the Group of Eight industrial states for Angela Merkel, German chancellor.
The EITI will win full backing this year from the G8 and possibly from the United Nations, according to Mr Pfaffenbach and EITI officials. The envoys from all G8 countries had recently “expressed concern” over China’s booming investments in Africa’s energy sector, and Beijing should be “made to feel more responsible” for its development impact, said Mr Pfaffenbach.
He told members of the EITI board, meeting in Berlin, that while “open China-bashing” should be avoided, the operations of China’s state-run energy companies were problematic.
Beijing is not a signatory to the EITI, under which resource-rich states – mostly in Africa and central Asia – are meant to publish details of revenues received from energy companies. Such action should discourage the misuse or disappearance of revenues – a process said to have blighted economic development in countries such as Nigeria and Angola.
China is responsible for 40 per cent of the growth in oil demand since 2003, say EITI officials. Its recent energy investments in Angola and Sudan have been criticised as nontransparent and environmentally damaging.
Peter Eigen, EITI chairman, said China should do more, but predicted it would “catch up slowly. It is important to engage with, not demonise, the country.”
Mr Pfaffenbach welcomed the EITI’s rapid growth since its launch in 2002 by Tony Blair, the British prime minister, but said it needed an “independent validation process” to ensure signatory countries and companies were complying with the voluntary initiative.
An internal EITI report admits that 16 of the 26 resource-rich nations listed on its website as being committed to its principles “appear not to have met ... indicators” necessary for even starting the validation process. Only Nigeria and Azerbaijan are near to full compliance. Eight western governments are also members. Non-government organisations on the EITI board accused energy companies of using the board meeting to delay by six months implementation of validation steps to protect business interests. “This feet-dragging is unfortunate,” said Gavin Hayman, of the pressure group Global Witness.
Edward Bickham, vice-president of the mining group Anglo-American, said the EITI had to move cautiously. “African governments have welcomed China’s advance because [it] does less finger-wagging” than the west over governance standards, he said.
Mr Eigen said pressure was needed as some EITI countries such as the Republic of Congo were “behaving very badly”. Police there had repeatedly arrested an NGO activist on the EITI board.
The idea that China would lift governance standards in the near future was naive, said energy specialists. Mr Pfaffenbach said Beijing would be invited to a Berlin conference this year on energy sector transparency.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Monday, April 09, 2007
Roland-Berger-Studie Experten erwarten grünes Job-Wunder - Deutschland - sueddeutsche.de
Roland-Berger-Studie Experten erwarten grünes Job-Wunder - Deutschland - sueddeutsche.de
Die globale Klimaschutz-Debatte hat einer Studie zufolge äußerst positive Auswirkungen auf den deutschen Arbeitsmarkt. Im Jahr 2020 werde die Öko-Branche mehr Mitarbeiter ernähren als die Autoindustrie.
"Wie die Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung unter Berufung auf eine Studie der Unternehmensberatung Roland Berger berichtet, mausere sich die Öko-Industrie zu einem der größten Jobmotoren in Deutschland.
'Die Öko-Branche entwickelt sich zur Leitbranche in Deutschland. Ein Job-Motor ist sie schon heute', sagte Torsten Henzelmann von Roland Berger der Zeitung.
'Im Jahr 2020 wird die Umweltbranche mehr Mitarbeiter ernähren als der Maschinenbau oder die Autoindustrie“, so Henzelmann.
Im Bereich Umwelttechnik arbeiten demnach in Deutschland derzeit bereits eine Million Arbeitnehmer. Die Zahl werde parallel zu den explodierenden Umsätzen steigen. Schon heute klagten Unternehmen, dass sie nicht genügend qualifizierte Mitarbeiter fänden, sagte Henzelmann.
Die Unternehmensberatung erstellt im Auftrag von Umweltminister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) einen Öko-Atlas für Deutschland, der im Juni zum EU-Umweltgipfel offiziell veröffentlicht werden soll. „Im Jahr 2020 wird die Umweltbranche mehr Mitarbeiter ernähren als der Maschinenbau oder die Autoindustrie“, sagte Henzelmann."
Die globale Klimaschutz-Debatte hat einer Studie zufolge äußerst positive Auswirkungen auf den deutschen Arbeitsmarkt. Im Jahr 2020 werde die Öko-Branche mehr Mitarbeiter ernähren als die Autoindustrie.
"Wie die Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung unter Berufung auf eine Studie der Unternehmensberatung Roland Berger berichtet, mausere sich die Öko-Industrie zu einem der größten Jobmotoren in Deutschland.
'Die Öko-Branche entwickelt sich zur Leitbranche in Deutschland. Ein Job-Motor ist sie schon heute', sagte Torsten Henzelmann von Roland Berger der Zeitung.
'Im Jahr 2020 wird die Umweltbranche mehr Mitarbeiter ernähren als der Maschinenbau oder die Autoindustrie“, so Henzelmann.
Im Bereich Umwelttechnik arbeiten demnach in Deutschland derzeit bereits eine Million Arbeitnehmer. Die Zahl werde parallel zu den explodierenden Umsätzen steigen. Schon heute klagten Unternehmen, dass sie nicht genügend qualifizierte Mitarbeiter fänden, sagte Henzelmann.
Die Unternehmensberatung erstellt im Auftrag von Umweltminister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) einen Öko-Atlas für Deutschland, der im Juni zum EU-Umweltgipfel offiziell veröffentlicht werden soll. „Im Jahr 2020 wird die Umweltbranche mehr Mitarbeiter ernähren als der Maschinenbau oder die Autoindustrie“, sagte Henzelmann."
Friday, April 06, 2007
Digitalisierung deutscher Bibliotheken: Öffentliche Konkurrenz für Google - Netzwelt - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
Digitalisierung deutscher Bibliotheken: Öffentliche Konkurrenz für Google - Netzwelt - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
Die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft will für die Digitalisierung der Bestände wissenschaftlicher Bibliotheken 10 bis 20 Millionen Euro jährlich ausgeben. Ziel: Bücher in besserer Qualität digitalisieren als Google.
Die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft will für die Digitalisierung der Bestände wissenschaftlicher Bibliotheken 10 bis 20 Millionen Euro jährlich ausgeben. Ziel: Bücher in besserer Qualität digitalisieren als Google.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Ermordung Siegfried Bubacks: Tödliche Salve an der Ampel - Panorama - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
Ermordung Siegfried Bubacks: Tödliche Salve an der Ampel - Panorama - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
Mit der Ermordung des Generalbundesanwalts Siegfried Buback startete die RAF vor 30 Jahren ihre "Offensive 77". Es war die erste spektakuläre Tat der zweiten Generation und der Auftakt für das blutigste Jahr des deutschen Terrors. Kanzler Schmidt sprach von Schüssen gegen den Rechtsstaat.
Mit der Ermordung des Generalbundesanwalts Siegfried Buback startete die RAF vor 30 Jahren ihre "Offensive 77". Es war die erste spektakuläre Tat der zweiten Generation und der Auftakt für das blutigste Jahr des deutschen Terrors. Kanzler Schmidt sprach von Schüssen gegen den Rechtsstaat.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - SPD will Zeitarbeit einschränken
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - SPD will Zeitarbeit einschränken
Die SPD-Fraktion will die erst vor wenigen Jahren durchgesetzte Liberalisierung der Leiharbeitsbranche zurückdrehen. Nach einem von der Fraktion verabschiedeten Papier mit Kernthesen zum "Grünbuch Arbeitsrecht" der EU sollen neue Mindeststandards bei der Zeitarbeit eingeführt werden.
Die SPD-Fraktion will die erst vor wenigen Jahren durchgesetzte Liberalisierung der Leiharbeitsbranche zurückdrehen. Nach einem von der Fraktion verabschiedeten Papier mit Kernthesen zum "Grünbuch Arbeitsrecht" der EU sollen neue Mindeststandards bei der Zeitarbeit eingeführt werden.
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - Großbaustelle Kindergarten
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - Großbaustelle Kindergarten
Bundesfamilienministerin Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) hat einen Punktsieg errungen. Auf dem Familiengipfel hat sie sich die Rückendeckung der Länderminister und Kommunen für ihren Plan gesichert, bis 2013 das Betreuungsangebot für Kleinkinder auf 750.000 Plätze aufzustocken. Doch das Gezerre ist nicht zu Ende - ein Überblick.
Bundesfamilienministerin Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) hat einen Punktsieg errungen. Auf dem Familiengipfel hat sie sich die Rückendeckung der Länderminister und Kommunen für ihren Plan gesichert, bis 2013 das Betreuungsangebot für Kleinkinder auf 750.000 Plätze aufzustocken. Doch das Gezerre ist nicht zu Ende - ein Überblick.
FTD.de - Köpfe - Nachrichten - Siemens-Vorstand Feldmayer wieder frei
FTD.de - Köpfe - Nachrichten - Siemens-Vorstand Feldmayer wieder frei
Siemens-Zentralvorstand Johannes Feldmayer ist nach einer Woche Untersuchungshaft in Bamberg wieder auf freiem Fuß. Wie das Nürnberger Oberlandesgericht mitteilte, wurde der Haftbefehl "unter Auflagen" außer Vollzug gesetzt.
Siemens-Zentralvorstand Johannes Feldmayer ist nach einer Woche Untersuchungshaft in Bamberg wieder auf freiem Fuß. Wie das Nürnberger Oberlandesgericht mitteilte, wurde der Haftbefehl "unter Auflagen" außer Vollzug gesetzt.
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - Berliner Farbenspiele
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - Berliner Farbenspiele
Die Große Koalition hat das Lagerdenken zwischen Rot-Grün und Schwarz-Gelb aufgelöst. Um nach der Bundestagswahl 2009 möglichst viele Optionen zu haben, sucht die SPD Kontakte zur FDP, und die Grünen nähern sich den Unionsparteien an.
Die Große Koalition hat das Lagerdenken zwischen Rot-Grün und Schwarz-Gelb aufgelöst. Um nach der Bundestagswahl 2009 möglichst viele Optionen zu haben, sucht die SPD Kontakte zur FDP, und die Grünen nähern sich den Unionsparteien an.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Nahost-Friedensprozess: Merkels schwere Mission unter Palmen - Politik - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
Nahost-Friedensprozess: Merkels schwere Mission unter Palmen - Politik - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
Die idyllische Kulisse jordanischer Palmen trügt: Im Gepäck für ihre Nahost-Reise hat Bundeskanzlerin Merkel eine klare Mahnung der EU an die neue palästinensische Einheitsregierung. Die Palästinenser fordern hingegen die vollständige Akzeptanz und die Aufhebung von Sanktionen.
Die idyllische Kulisse jordanischer Palmen trügt: Im Gepäck für ihre Nahost-Reise hat Bundeskanzlerin Merkel eine klare Mahnung der EU an die neue palästinensische Einheitsregierung. Die Palästinenser fordern hingegen die vollständige Akzeptanz und die Aufhebung von Sanktionen.
Brigitte Mohnhaupt versus Bild Krieg der Worte - Deutschland - sueddeutsche.de
Brigitte Mohnhaupt versus Bild Krieg der Worte - Deutschland - sueddeutsche.de
Die ehemalige RAF-Führerin droht der Bild mit juristischen Mitteln, sollte die Zeitung sie weiterhin als "Mörderin" und "Terroristin" bezeichnen. Doch das Boulevard-Blatt denkt gar nicht daran, zurückzustecken.
Die ehemalige RAF-Führerin droht der Bild mit juristischen Mitteln, sollte die Zeitung sie weiterhin als "Mörderin" und "Terroristin" bezeichnen. Doch das Boulevard-Blatt denkt gar nicht daran, zurückzustecken.
Debatte um Mohnhaupt Niemand ist vogelfrei - Deutschland - sueddeutsche.de
Debatte um Mohnhaupt Niemand ist vogelfrei - Deutschland - sueddeutsche.de
Die frühere RAF-Terroristin Brigitte Mohnhaupt kann nicht uneingeschränkt den Schutz ihrer Privatsphäre einfordern - aber sie darf sich gegen die Jagd auf ihre Person und gegen den permanenten Namenszusatz "Mörderin" oder "Terroristin" wehren. Denn auch eine ehemalige Terroristin hat ein Recht auf Persönlichkeitsschutz und Resozialisierung.
Die frühere RAF-Terroristin Brigitte Mohnhaupt kann nicht uneingeschränkt den Schutz ihrer Privatsphäre einfordern - aber sie darf sich gegen die Jagd auf ihre Person und gegen den permanenten Namenszusatz "Mörderin" oder "Terroristin" wehren. Denn auch eine ehemalige Terroristin hat ein Recht auf Persönlichkeitsschutz und Resozialisierung.
Friday, March 30, 2007
FT.com / Home UK / UK - Overhauled: why Germany is again the engine of Europe
FT.com / Home UK / UK - Overhauled: why Germany is again the engine of Europe
Overhauled: why Germany is again the engine of Europe
By Bertrand Benoit in Berlin
Published: March 30 2007 03:00 | Last updated: March 30 2007 03:00
Attention surrounding the French presidential campaign is focused on the youthful trio of leading candidates. Yet there is another protagonist in the race. With less than a month until polling day, Germany is on every-body's lips: there is hardly a candidate who has not drawn lessons from its remarkable economic recovery in the past year.
Nicolas Sarkozy, running for the ruling UMP party, has toyed with the idea of a value-added tax rise, as implemented in Germany in January. Ségolène Royal, the candidate of the left, has praised the strength of German organised labour. For François Bayrou, representing the centre-right UDF, Germany's success lies in its "grand coalition" of Social and Christian Democrats, which he wants to replicate at home.
For all the talk, however, France's would-be presidents are all conveying a distorted image of Germany and misrepresenting the factors that led to its recovery. "Germany has made a comeback in the French political discourse," says Dominique Reynié, a professor at the Paris institute of political science. "But the question 'How did they do it?' is simply not being asked. It is not that politicians do not know - it is that they are afraid of spelling out the answer."
How did Germany really do it, and what should the French and others - not least the Germans themselves - deduce from that? In fact, the realisation that their country is no longer the "sick man of Europe" and is again acting as the continent's economic engine is more widespread outside Germany than at home, where the populace is taking time to shed the gloom of the preceding downturn.
"It is perhaps excessive to say that Germany has become a model again," says Philippe Moreau-Defarges, a senior fellow at the French institute of foreign relations. "What has returned is a certain envy, the old inferiority complex, and a certain perplexity as to what their success means for us."
Germany's return to health struck home late last year, when it emerged that its economy had finally shaken off the after-effects of reunification and would grow faster than that of France for the first time since 1994. With estimates of German growth for 2007 ranging between 2 per cent and 3 per cent, this outperformance is likely to be repeated this year.
Unemployment, the most visible symptom of the "German disease", has been receding fast. At 7.5 per cent in February, according to figures from the International Labour Organisation, it was lower than France's. In the past 12 months almost 1m jobseekers have found work.
The election of Angela Merkel as chancellor and the non-confrontational stance she has adopted - a shift from the at times abrasive style of Gerhard Schröder, her predecessor - has also contributed to the shift in perceptions.
It is when identifying the factors behind Germany's latest re-naissance, however, that French political discourse parts with reality. The distinctive feature of the German economic recovery is that it was firmly led by exports. Of all well-performing western economies in the current decade, it is virtually alone in not having experienced robust consumption growth.
The dramatic improvement in labour-market data and the fact that investment in capital goods is booming again after coming to an almost complete halt in 2000 show that the recovery now has a strong domestic component. This, however, did not come without sizeable sacrifices - and it is these sacrifices that the French candidates are not keen to mention.
The spark that got the German engine running was the painful restructuring that companies undertook after the bursting of the "new economy" bubble at the turn of the century. Either unilaterally or in concert with trade unions, managers slashed costs, working time rose, wages were frozen and production was moved to low-cost countries.
The short-term effects were devastating. Unemployment shot up to an all-time high of 5m in 2005, while real wages plunged. As the numbers of those dependent on state benefits rose, the public deficit soared.
Rocketing unemployment and eroding income left a deep mark on the public's psyche, turning Germany into a nation of compulsive penny-pinchers. The country's retail sector is now dominated by discount chains, marketing for consumer goods tends to revolve around price, and bargain-chasing - even among the affluent - has become a favourite national pursuit.
The result, however, was a partial reversal of the dramatic loss in competitiveness suffered by German companies following the country's reunification. In the decade to 2005, unit labour costs fell 10 per cent while they rose 15 per cent in the UK and 26 per cent in Italy.
Offshoring, meanwhile, integrated Germany more deeply into the world economy. Almost half the value-added of German exports is now produced abroad. Many companies sell more products made by their overseas subsidiaries than they export.
Postwar Germany was always an exporting economy but in the past five years it has become virtually the only old industrial nation to raise its worldwide market share. Its share of international trade rose from 8.6 per cent in 2000 to 10 per cent today, the highest in the world, ahead of the US, China and Japan. Although it uses the currency that French candidates claim is choking their own economy, Germany is undoubtedly one of the biggest beneficiaries of globalisation and one of very few mature economies to have fully harnessed its opportunities.
"The case of Germany is pretty much without equivalent," says Elga Bartsch, economist at Morgan Stanley. "It is the only country that is standing up to the Chinese today."
Politicians played a supporting role, mainly by keeping at arm's length from the wage settlement process. The raft of labour market, tax and social security reforms that Mr Schröder initiated in 2003 at considerable political cost played a role in raising Germany's potential rate of growth, though whether and to what extent these reforms have even begun to bear fruit is a matter of controversy among politicians and economists.
The ferociousness of Germany's restructuring led to accusations of a beggar-thy-neighbour policy and, at home, to concerns that the country was turning into a "bazaar economy" - an expression coined by Hans-Werner Sinn, head of the Ifo economic institute, to describe a business model whereby goods are manufactured abroad and assembled in Germany before being re-exported.
The rapid fall in unemployment and rise in domestic investment, however, have done much to validate this model by demonstrating that profits were in fact being redirected into the domestic economy. Taking advantage of globalisation did not necessarily come to the detriment of workers at home in the longer term, it became clear - although the average gross wage rise was only 0.7 per cent last year.
"Offshoring may seem worrying from the point of view of job creation in Germany," says Klaus Bräunig, managing director at the BDI federation of German industry. "But the truth is that as long as our firms' activities abroad help strengthen competitiveness and increase market share - which is the case - we are creating more jobs at home than we are moving abroad."
Rising profits also led to rising tax revenues, allowing Germany to reclaim its lost reputation for fiscal rectitude. Last year, the public sector's budget deficit stood at 1.7 per cent of gross domestic product, much lower than the government was anticipating a year earlier. Germany's reputedly bloated social security system booked a €20.5bn ($27bn, £14bn) profit last year, compared with a 2005 deficit of €3.3bn.
So are there lessons to be drawn, by France and by others, from this German miracle? The Bundesbank thinks so. In its monthly report published this week, the central bank identified wage moderation and corporate restructuring as determining factors in redressing economic fortunes. Eurozone countries experiencing an erosion of their competitiveness, such as Portugal and Italy, faced "no sustainable economic policy alternative to the path followed by Germany", the bank wrote.
A second lesson is that, although it is governments that shape the legal framework determining the room for manoeuvre of economic actors, there is little they can actually do to stimulate growth. "Politics has relatively little to do with the current recovery," says Ms Bartsch.
A simulation conducted by the IfW economic institute in Kiel, which published its findings this week, showed the central role played by wage moderation in improving German competitiveness. Although the fall in real income between 2004 and 2006 hit consumption, the institute wrote, the net effect of wage moderation was positive for growth and job creation. Calculations by the Bundesbank suggest that unemployment would be much higher today if wages had risen by 2.5 per cent a year since 1999.
Today, it appears that Germany's botched reunification acted as a delayed trigger for corporate and political reform. The introduction of the D-Mark at the wrong exchange rate saddled the former East Germany with unbearably high labour costs, making it uncompetitive and a burden for the rest of the country. Reunification not only sent competitiveness plummeting: it also made structural weaknesses built into its social security system, wage-setting mechanisms and labour law acutely visible.
"Reunification was a catalyst," says Dirk Schumacher, an economist at Goldman Sachs. "It exposed all the breaking points in the system and prompted a general renegotiation of the price of labour. Luckily in this case, you can say the system re-sponded the right way."
Arguably, the best thing about the "German model" is less the model itself - with its superficially attractive mix of economic liberalism, a generous welfare state and consensual politics - than the adaptability the country has demonstrated through crises. "It is not that we did not make mistakes," says Toni Pierenkemper, professor of economic history at Cologne university. "We made huge mistakes. We completely underestimated the cost of reunification. But we showed a certain ability to confront and correct these mistakes."
The third and fourth lessons are for Germany itself. If getting costs under control has allowed German industry to prosper, generous pay increases in the future could have the opposite effect. As many politicians call on managers to share the spoils of success with workers, and as the coalition toys with the idea of a minimum wage, economists are growing worried. In the current wage round IG Metall, the engineering union, has called for a 6.5 per cent rise and will probably achieve about 4 per cent.
For Wolfgang Franz, president of the ZEW economic institute and one of the five "wise men" who advise the government on economic policy, a settlement that exceeded productivity gains this year would undermine Germany's position in international markets and stop the labour recovery. "In the past years, the moderate settlements achieved by the negotiators made a considerable contribution to employment," he says. "We are in danger of losing sight of this."
Last, because of its heavy exposure to world markets, Germany is also more vulnerable than its neighbours to a slowdown in global growth. Its reliance on trade played a big role in shaping Ms Merkel's agendas for her country's twin presidencies of the European Union and Group of Eight industrial nations this year. Completing the Doha round of trade liberalisation, lowering non-tariff barriers between the EU and the US and improving the international protection of intellectual property rights all figure high on her list.
The French candidates are right about one thing: their country has much to learn from its bigger neighbour. But if embracing free trade and globalisation, keeping wages low and selectively offshoring are the main ingredients, the German recipe is unlikely to win anyone the French presidency.
Additional reporting byMartin Arnold
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Overhauled: why Germany is again the engine of Europe
By Bertrand Benoit in Berlin
Published: March 30 2007 03:00 | Last updated: March 30 2007 03:00
Attention surrounding the French presidential campaign is focused on the youthful trio of leading candidates. Yet there is another protagonist in the race. With less than a month until polling day, Germany is on every-body's lips: there is hardly a candidate who has not drawn lessons from its remarkable economic recovery in the past year.
Nicolas Sarkozy, running for the ruling UMP party, has toyed with the idea of a value-added tax rise, as implemented in Germany in January. Ségolène Royal, the candidate of the left, has praised the strength of German organised labour. For François Bayrou, representing the centre-right UDF, Germany's success lies in its "grand coalition" of Social and Christian Democrats, which he wants to replicate at home.
For all the talk, however, France's would-be presidents are all conveying a distorted image of Germany and misrepresenting the factors that led to its recovery. "Germany has made a comeback in the French political discourse," says Dominique Reynié, a professor at the Paris institute of political science. "But the question 'How did they do it?' is simply not being asked. It is not that politicians do not know - it is that they are afraid of spelling out the answer."
How did Germany really do it, and what should the French and others - not least the Germans themselves - deduce from that? In fact, the realisation that their country is no longer the "sick man of Europe" and is again acting as the continent's economic engine is more widespread outside Germany than at home, where the populace is taking time to shed the gloom of the preceding downturn.
"It is perhaps excessive to say that Germany has become a model again," says Philippe Moreau-Defarges, a senior fellow at the French institute of foreign relations. "What has returned is a certain envy, the old inferiority complex, and a certain perplexity as to what their success means for us."
Germany's return to health struck home late last year, when it emerged that its economy had finally shaken off the after-effects of reunification and would grow faster than that of France for the first time since 1994. With estimates of German growth for 2007 ranging between 2 per cent and 3 per cent, this outperformance is likely to be repeated this year.
Unemployment, the most visible symptom of the "German disease", has been receding fast. At 7.5 per cent in February, according to figures from the International Labour Organisation, it was lower than France's. In the past 12 months almost 1m jobseekers have found work.
The election of Angela Merkel as chancellor and the non-confrontational stance she has adopted - a shift from the at times abrasive style of Gerhard Schröder, her predecessor - has also contributed to the shift in perceptions.
It is when identifying the factors behind Germany's latest re-naissance, however, that French political discourse parts with reality. The distinctive feature of the German economic recovery is that it was firmly led by exports. Of all well-performing western economies in the current decade, it is virtually alone in not having experienced robust consumption growth.
The dramatic improvement in labour-market data and the fact that investment in capital goods is booming again after coming to an almost complete halt in 2000 show that the recovery now has a strong domestic component. This, however, did not come without sizeable sacrifices - and it is these sacrifices that the French candidates are not keen to mention.
The spark that got the German engine running was the painful restructuring that companies undertook after the bursting of the "new economy" bubble at the turn of the century. Either unilaterally or in concert with trade unions, managers slashed costs, working time rose, wages were frozen and production was moved to low-cost countries.
The short-term effects were devastating. Unemployment shot up to an all-time high of 5m in 2005, while real wages plunged. As the numbers of those dependent on state benefits rose, the public deficit soared.
Rocketing unemployment and eroding income left a deep mark on the public's psyche, turning Germany into a nation of compulsive penny-pinchers. The country's retail sector is now dominated by discount chains, marketing for consumer goods tends to revolve around price, and bargain-chasing - even among the affluent - has become a favourite national pursuit.
The result, however, was a partial reversal of the dramatic loss in competitiveness suffered by German companies following the country's reunification. In the decade to 2005, unit labour costs fell 10 per cent while they rose 15 per cent in the UK and 26 per cent in Italy.
Offshoring, meanwhile, integrated Germany more deeply into the world economy. Almost half the value-added of German exports is now produced abroad. Many companies sell more products made by their overseas subsidiaries than they export.
Postwar Germany was always an exporting economy but in the past five years it has become virtually the only old industrial nation to raise its worldwide market share. Its share of international trade rose from 8.6 per cent in 2000 to 10 per cent today, the highest in the world, ahead of the US, China and Japan. Although it uses the currency that French candidates claim is choking their own economy, Germany is undoubtedly one of the biggest beneficiaries of globalisation and one of very few mature economies to have fully harnessed its opportunities.
"The case of Germany is pretty much without equivalent," says Elga Bartsch, economist at Morgan Stanley. "It is the only country that is standing up to the Chinese today."
Politicians played a supporting role, mainly by keeping at arm's length from the wage settlement process. The raft of labour market, tax and social security reforms that Mr Schröder initiated in 2003 at considerable political cost played a role in raising Germany's potential rate of growth, though whether and to what extent these reforms have even begun to bear fruit is a matter of controversy among politicians and economists.
The ferociousness of Germany's restructuring led to accusations of a beggar-thy-neighbour policy and, at home, to concerns that the country was turning into a "bazaar economy" - an expression coined by Hans-Werner Sinn, head of the Ifo economic institute, to describe a business model whereby goods are manufactured abroad and assembled in Germany before being re-exported.
The rapid fall in unemployment and rise in domestic investment, however, have done much to validate this model by demonstrating that profits were in fact being redirected into the domestic economy. Taking advantage of globalisation did not necessarily come to the detriment of workers at home in the longer term, it became clear - although the average gross wage rise was only 0.7 per cent last year.
"Offshoring may seem worrying from the point of view of job creation in Germany," says Klaus Bräunig, managing director at the BDI federation of German industry. "But the truth is that as long as our firms' activities abroad help strengthen competitiveness and increase market share - which is the case - we are creating more jobs at home than we are moving abroad."
Rising profits also led to rising tax revenues, allowing Germany to reclaim its lost reputation for fiscal rectitude. Last year, the public sector's budget deficit stood at 1.7 per cent of gross domestic product, much lower than the government was anticipating a year earlier. Germany's reputedly bloated social security system booked a €20.5bn ($27bn, £14bn) profit last year, compared with a 2005 deficit of €3.3bn.
So are there lessons to be drawn, by France and by others, from this German miracle? The Bundesbank thinks so. In its monthly report published this week, the central bank identified wage moderation and corporate restructuring as determining factors in redressing economic fortunes. Eurozone countries experiencing an erosion of their competitiveness, such as Portugal and Italy, faced "no sustainable economic policy alternative to the path followed by Germany", the bank wrote.
A second lesson is that, although it is governments that shape the legal framework determining the room for manoeuvre of economic actors, there is little they can actually do to stimulate growth. "Politics has relatively little to do with the current recovery," says Ms Bartsch.
A simulation conducted by the IfW economic institute in Kiel, which published its findings this week, showed the central role played by wage moderation in improving German competitiveness. Although the fall in real income between 2004 and 2006 hit consumption, the institute wrote, the net effect of wage moderation was positive for growth and job creation. Calculations by the Bundesbank suggest that unemployment would be much higher today if wages had risen by 2.5 per cent a year since 1999.
Today, it appears that Germany's botched reunification acted as a delayed trigger for corporate and political reform. The introduction of the D-Mark at the wrong exchange rate saddled the former East Germany with unbearably high labour costs, making it uncompetitive and a burden for the rest of the country. Reunification not only sent competitiveness plummeting: it also made structural weaknesses built into its social security system, wage-setting mechanisms and labour law acutely visible.
"Reunification was a catalyst," says Dirk Schumacher, an economist at Goldman Sachs. "It exposed all the breaking points in the system and prompted a general renegotiation of the price of labour. Luckily in this case, you can say the system re-sponded the right way."
Arguably, the best thing about the "German model" is less the model itself - with its superficially attractive mix of economic liberalism, a generous welfare state and consensual politics - than the adaptability the country has demonstrated through crises. "It is not that we did not make mistakes," says Toni Pierenkemper, professor of economic history at Cologne university. "We made huge mistakes. We completely underestimated the cost of reunification. But we showed a certain ability to confront and correct these mistakes."
The third and fourth lessons are for Germany itself. If getting costs under control has allowed German industry to prosper, generous pay increases in the future could have the opposite effect. As many politicians call on managers to share the spoils of success with workers, and as the coalition toys with the idea of a minimum wage, economists are growing worried. In the current wage round IG Metall, the engineering union, has called for a 6.5 per cent rise and will probably achieve about 4 per cent.
For Wolfgang Franz, president of the ZEW economic institute and one of the five "wise men" who advise the government on economic policy, a settlement that exceeded productivity gains this year would undermine Germany's position in international markets and stop the labour recovery. "In the past years, the moderate settlements achieved by the negotiators made a considerable contribution to employment," he says. "We are in danger of losing sight of this."
Last, because of its heavy exposure to world markets, Germany is also more vulnerable than its neighbours to a slowdown in global growth. Its reliance on trade played a big role in shaping Ms Merkel's agendas for her country's twin presidencies of the European Union and Group of Eight industrial nations this year. Completing the Doha round of trade liberalisation, lowering non-tariff barriers between the EU and the US and improving the international protection of intellectual property rights all figure high on her list.
The French candidates are right about one thing: their country has much to learn from its bigger neighbour. But if embracing free trade and globalisation, keeping wages low and selectively offshoring are the main ingredients, the German recipe is unlikely to win anyone the French presidency.
Additional reporting byMartin Arnold
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - Berlin prüft Verbot von "Flatrate-Partys"
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - Berlin prüft Verbot von "Flatrate-Partys"
Nach dem Tod eines Schülers durch eine Alkoholvergiftung erwägt Berlins Senat ein scharfes Vorgehen gegen so genannte Flatrate-Partys. Niedersachens Ministerpräsident Christian Wulff (CDU) forderte eine Ächtung von Veranstaltern derartiger Partys.
Nach dem Tod eines Schülers durch eine Alkoholvergiftung erwägt Berlins Senat ein scharfes Vorgehen gegen so genannte Flatrate-Partys. Niedersachens Ministerpräsident Christian Wulff (CDU) forderte eine Ächtung von Veranstaltern derartiger Partys.
FTD.de - Köpfe - Nachrichten - Politiker fordern Ablösung von Pierers als Regierungsberater
FTD.de - Köpfe - Nachrichten - Politiker fordern Ablösung von Pierers als Regierungsberater
Angesichts der Siemens-Schmiergeldaffäre haben Politiker der Bundestagsopposition Kanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) aufgefordert, sich von Siemens-Aufsichtsratschef Heinrich von Pierer als Berater zu trennen. Die IG Metall kündigte unterdessen einen Strafantrag gegen den Konzern an.
Angesichts der Siemens-Schmiergeldaffäre haben Politiker der Bundestagsopposition Kanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) aufgefordert, sich von Siemens-Aufsichtsratschef Heinrich von Pierer als Berater zu trennen. Die IG Metall kündigte unterdessen einen Strafantrag gegen den Konzern an.
FTD.de - Autoindustrie - Nachrichten - Porsche erhält Milliardenkredit für VW-Übernahme
FTD.de - Autoindustrie - Nachrichten - Porsche erhält Milliardenkredit für VW-Übernahme
Porsche ante portas: Der Sportwagenbauer hat einen Milliardenkredit aufgenommen, um die Kaufofferte für die ausstehenden VW-Aktien finanzieren zu können. Es ist allerdings unwahrscheinlich, dass Porsche das Darlehen in Anspruch nehmen muss.
Porsche ante portas: Der Sportwagenbauer hat einen Milliardenkredit aufgenommen, um die Kaufofferte für die ausstehenden VW-Aktien finanzieren zu können. Es ist allerdings unwahrscheinlich, dass Porsche das Darlehen in Anspruch nehmen muss.
Wohlstandssicherung durch Spitzentechnologie Das Hoch im Norden - Wirtschaft - sueddeutsche.de
Wohlstandssicherung durch Spitzentechnologie Das Hoch im Norden - Wirtschaft - sueddeutsche.de
Dänemark und Schweden sind weltweit die neuen Technologie-Spitzenreiter - das belegt ein Bericht des World Economic Forums. Die ehemalige Nummer eins, die...
Dänemark und Schweden sind weltweit die neuen Technologie-Spitzenreiter - das belegt ein Bericht des World Economic Forums. Die ehemalige Nummer eins, die...
Thursday, March 29, 2007
FTD.de - Medien+Internet - Nachrichten - SAP-Technologievorstand Agassi will nicht warten - und geht
FTD.de - Medien+Internet - Nachrichten - SAP-Technologievorstand Agassi will nicht warten - und geht
Shai Agassi kehrt dem deutschen Softwarekonzern SAP den Rücken. Der Produktvorstand galt als Top-Kandidat für die Ära nach dem amtierenden Konzernchef Henning Kagermann. Doch Agassis Geduld reichte nicht aus.
Shai Agassi kehrt dem deutschen Softwarekonzern SAP den Rücken. Der Produktvorstand galt als Top-Kandidat für die Ära nach dem amtierenden Konzernchef Henning Kagermann. Doch Agassis Geduld reichte nicht aus.
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - Berliner Koma-Säufer gestorben
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - Berliner Koma-Säufer gestorben
Der Berliner Schüler, der nach schwerem Alkoholmissbrauch einen Monat lang im Koma lag, ist tot. Der 16-Jährige war Ende Februar nach angeblich rund 50 Gläsern Tequila in einem Lokal mit 4,8 Promille zusammengebrochen. Der Fall hatte eine Diskussion über ein generelles Alkoholverbot für Jugendliche losgetreten.
Der Berliner Schüler, der nach schwerem Alkoholmissbrauch einen Monat lang im Koma lag, ist tot. Der 16-Jährige war Ende Februar nach angeblich rund 50 Gläsern Tequila in einem Lokal mit 4,8 Promille zusammengebrochen. Der Fall hatte eine Diskussion über ein generelles Alkoholverbot für Jugendliche losgetreten.
Europäische Union - Politik - FAZ.NET - Frattini und Schäuble im Interview: Mit Hubschraubern gegen illegale Einwanderung
Europäische Union - Politik - FAZ.NET - Frattini und Schäuble im Interview: Mit Hubschraubern gegen illegale Einwanderung
Frontex soll den Kampf gegen illegale Migration koordinieren
29. März 2007
Im Oktober 2005 hat die EU-Grenzschutzagentur Frontex in Warschau ihre Arbeit aufgenommen. Die Agentur soll den Kampf gegen illegale Migration unterstützen und koordinieren (Siehe auch: Illegale Migration: EU rüstet sich gegen Flüchtlingsandrang). Der Etat der Organisation, bei der Grenzschützer aus allen EU-Staaten arbeiten sollen, beträgt für 2007 bis zu 35 Millionen Euro. Leiter von Frontex ist der Finne Ilkka Laitinen. Frontex führt eine Übersicht über verfügbares technisches Material und das dazugehörige Personal, das die Mitgliedstaaten für Grenzschutzmaßnahmen zur Verfügung stellen können.
Frontex soll den Kampf gegen illegale Migration koordinieren
29. März 2007
Im Oktober 2005 hat die EU-Grenzschutzagentur Frontex in Warschau ihre Arbeit aufgenommen. Die Agentur soll den Kampf gegen illegale Migration unterstützen und koordinieren (Siehe auch: Illegale Migration: EU rüstet sich gegen Flüchtlingsandrang). Der Etat der Organisation, bei der Grenzschützer aus allen EU-Staaten arbeiten sollen, beträgt für 2007 bis zu 35 Millionen Euro. Leiter von Frontex ist der Finne Ilkka Laitinen. Frontex führt eine Übersicht über verfügbares technisches Material und das dazugehörige Personal, das die Mitgliedstaaten für Grenzschutzmaßnahmen zur Verfügung stellen können.
Arbeit, Rente & Gesundheit - Wirtschaft - FAZ.NET - Arbeitslosenquote unter zehn Prozent: „Kräftige Belebung am Arbeitsmarkt“
Arbeit, Rente & Gesundheit - Wirtschaft - FAZ.NET - Arbeitslosenquote unter zehn Prozent: „Kräftige Belebung am Arbeitsmarkt“
Arbeitslosenquote unter zehn Prozent
„Kräftige Belebung am Arbeitsmarkt”
Die Zahl der Arbeitslosen in Deutschland ist im März um etwa 114.000 auf 4,108 Millionen gesunken. Das waren 869.000 weniger als vor einem Jahr. Die Arbeitslosenquote ging auf 9,8 Prozent zurück. „Das Beschäftigungswachstum gewann nochmals an Fahrt”, sagt Arbeitsagenturchef Weise.
Arbeitslosenquote unter zehn Prozent
„Kräftige Belebung am Arbeitsmarkt”
Die Zahl der Arbeitslosen in Deutschland ist im März um etwa 114.000 auf 4,108 Millionen gesunken. Das waren 869.000 weniger als vor einem Jahr. Die Arbeitslosenquote ging auf 9,8 Prozent zurück. „Das Beschäftigungswachstum gewann nochmals an Fahrt”, sagt Arbeitsagenturchef Weise.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
FT.com / World / Europe - Germany faces threat of strikes over pay claim
FT.com / World / Europe - Germany faces threat of strikes over pay claim
Germany faces threat of strikes over pay claim
By Hugh Williamson in Berlin
Published: March 28 2007 03:00 | Last updated: March 28 2007 03:00
IG Metall, the German trade union, has rejected an engineering industry offer to raise wages by 2.5 per cent, raising the likelihood of industrial unrest.
The union is demanding a 6.5 per cent wage increase, and said yesterday it was determined to achieve its highest settlement for several years, even if this involved strikes. Under the industry's current wage agreement a ban on industrial action expires on April 28, after which the union is expected to mount short "warning strikes" unless a settlement is reached.
Germany faces threat of strikes over pay claim
By Hugh Williamson in Berlin
Published: March 28 2007 03:00 | Last updated: March 28 2007 03:00
IG Metall, the German trade union, has rejected an engineering industry offer to raise wages by 2.5 per cent, raising the likelihood of industrial unrest.
The union is demanding a 6.5 per cent wage increase, and said yesterday it was determined to achieve its highest settlement for several years, even if this involved strikes. Under the industry's current wage agreement a ban on industrial action expires on April 28, after which the union is expected to mount short "warning strikes" unless a settlement is reached.
F.A.Z.-Kommentare - Politik - FAZ.NET - Kommentar: Die Kanzlerin glänzt, der Rest nicht
F.A.Z.-Kommentare - Politik - FAZ.NET - Kommentar: Die Kanzlerin glänzt, der Rest nicht
Die Kanzlerin glänzt, der Rest nicht
Von Alltägliche Schwächen bringen die Union um den sicheren Erfolg.
28. März 2007
Fast eineinhalb Jahre im Amt - und noch ist ihr kein Fehler nachzuweisen. Bundeskanzlerin Merkel hat eine gute Bilanz. In der Außenpolitik eilt sie von einem Erfolg zum anderen, zuletzt beim EU-Gipfel und bei den Berliner Feierlichkeiten zum 50. Jahrestag der Römischen Verträge. Nirgends werden ihr auf der internationalen Bühne Ungeschicklichkeiten, gar Tritte in die vielen bereitstehenden Fettnäpfchen nachgesagt. In der Innenpolitik reiht sich ein Reformgesetz an das andere: Föderalismusreform, Gesundheitsreform, Rentenreform und so weiter. Wenn es hakt, zeigt niemand mit dem Finger auf die Kanzlerin; in die Kritik geraten immer andere, Minister vor allem, bisweilen Fraktionssprecher, manchmal Ministerpräsidenten.
Das alles wäre nicht aufregend, hätte die Eineinhalbjahresbilanz der Kanzlerin, die zugleich CDU-Vorsitzende ist, nicht einen Makel: Die Union ist trotz allem über ihren Ausgangspunkt, das Ergebnis der Bundestagswahl 2005, nicht hinausgekommen. Die Aussicht, den ungeliebten Regierungspartner SPD abzuhängen und nach der nächsten Wahl eine Koalition mit einer handzahmeren Partei schließen zu können, ist nicht besser geworden. Da ist es ein schwacher Trost, dass die SPD noch schlechter dasteht als nach dem letzten Schröder-Wahlkampf.
Was läuft falsch in der Union, was vereitelt ihre Entfaltung, was verhindert, dass sich die Arbeitsergebnisse der Kanzlerschaft in steigender Wählerzustimmung niederschlagen? Die jüngste Ausrede von CDU-Abgeordneten, die Union leide unter den Führungsquerelen in der CSU, zieht nicht, denn Stoibers Sturz hat die Umfragewerte der Union nicht purzeln lassen; sie waren vorher und nachher auf einem ähnlichen Stand. Der ist zwar der höchste aller deutschen Parteien, verheißt aber eben nicht den Ausbruch aus der großkoalitionären Gefangenschaft.
Die mangelnde Ausstrahlung der Unionsarbeit ist nicht mit vereinzelten aufsehenerregenden Ereignissen zu erklären, sondern mit den zu wenig beachteten Schwächen des Alltagsgeschäfts. In der Viererbeziehung zwischen Kanzlerin samt Ministern, der Bundestagsfraktion und den Parteiorganisationen von CDU und CSU knackt es wie in einer schlechten Telefonleitung. Das fängt in der Ministerriege an. Die Kanzlerin demonstriert Einigkeit mit den sozialdemokratischen Ministern Müntefering und Steinbrück oder stärkt Gabriel unter Hinweis auf den Koalitionsvertrag den Rücken. Kabinettskollegen aus der Union wird die sichtliche Nähe zur Bundeskanzlerin vorenthalten. Das hat bei Schäuble und Seehofer biographische Gründe: Beide empfand Frau Merkel einst als Gegenspieler. Jung, Frau Schavan und Glos gelten als die Abgesandten starker Landesverbände beziehungsweise der Schwesterpartei. Handverlesen hat die Kanzlerin nur die Familienministerin von der Leyen und den Kanzleramtsminister de Maizière. Doch Eigengewächse haben es auch unter dem Schirm der Kanzlerin nicht immer leicht.
Unter dieser Erfahrung leidet auch die Bundestagsfraktion, die von ihrer früheren Vorsitzenden Merkel dem gegenwärtigen Vorsitzenden Kauder nur anvertraut zu sein scheint. Kauders Werdegang verstärkt diesen Eindruck: Erst hat er im Auftrag der Chefin die Partei dienstbar gemacht, dann wurde er der Fraktion vorgesetzt, um Ordnung zu halten. Erst langsam vermag Kauder zu beweisen, dass er Eigengewicht hat wie Dregger und Schäuble zu Zeiten des Kanzlers Kohl. Sein Partner Struck führt ihm täglich vor, wie man als Fraktionsvorsitzender der wichtigste Mann seiner Partei im Parlament sein kann.
Da fällt die Alltagsschwäche der Unionsfraktion erst recht auf: Obwohl sie nur fünf Bundesminister stellt, sind keine fünf Leute in der Fraktion geblieben, die mit Sicherheit das Zeug zu auch in der Außendarstellung erfolgreichen Ministern hätten. Würde die Kanzlerin eines Tages von den SPD-Ministern verlassen, könnte die Fraktion nicht einmal für den Übergang einen Außen- oder einen Finanzminister stellen. Dies wissen die 225 Abgeordneten der Union, und dennoch erfüllt sie die Konsequenz mit Unmut. Sie ärgern sich, dass "ihre" Finanzpolitik nicht von ihnen gemacht wird, sondern vom hessischen Ministerpräsidenten Koch, der seit den Koalitionsverhandlungen die Feder führt. Auch für das Großthema Sozialpolitik ist die Fraktion bis auf weiteres auf Landespolitiker wie Rüttgers und Laumann angewiesen. Selbst im Teilbereich Gesundheitspolitik mussten den Fraktionsfachleuten immer wieder andere zu Hilfe eilen. In der Familienpolitik schließlich hatte es die Fraktion hinzunehmen, dass Ministerin von der Leyen, die "nicht einmal" ein Bundestagsmandat hat, ein Konzept in die Öffentlichkeit trug, auf das sich die Fraktion nicht geeinigt hatte.
Das unangenehme Knacken setzt sich in der Verbindung zu den Parteiorganisationen vernehmlich fort. CDU-Generalsekretär Pofalla tritt in der Regel als Herold der Kanzlerin auf, ohne dass je klar würde, ob er in gleichem Maße auch der Fürsprecher der Basis bei der Parteivorsitzenden ist. Doch die CDU-Abgeordneten, die zum Beispiel ein anderes familienpolitisches Leitbild hochhielten als die Ministerin, haben das aller Wahrscheinlichkeit nach nicht gegen den Willen der Wortführer in ihren Wahlkreisen getan. Der Vorstoß der Familienministerin geht an großen Teilen der CSU vorbei, auch wenn der Nochparteivorsitzende Stoiber in seiner Restamtszeit der Partei und dem Freistaat jegliche Modernisierung überzustülpen bereit sein wird. Auch so drückt sich Torschlusspanik aus.
Die Kanzlerin wird mit großem persönlichen Einsatz das Ansehen der Unionsriege im Kabinett und in der Bundestagsfraktion aufpolieren müssen. Wenn schon ihr parlamentarischer Vorsprung gegenüber der SPD schrumpft, dann muss wenigstens die Rüstung glänzen, bevor es in den Wahlkampf geht.
Text: F.A.Z., 28.03.2007, Nr. 74 / Seite 1
Die Kanzlerin glänzt, der Rest nicht
Von Alltägliche Schwächen bringen die Union um den sicheren Erfolg.
28. März 2007
Fast eineinhalb Jahre im Amt - und noch ist ihr kein Fehler nachzuweisen. Bundeskanzlerin Merkel hat eine gute Bilanz. In der Außenpolitik eilt sie von einem Erfolg zum anderen, zuletzt beim EU-Gipfel und bei den Berliner Feierlichkeiten zum 50. Jahrestag der Römischen Verträge. Nirgends werden ihr auf der internationalen Bühne Ungeschicklichkeiten, gar Tritte in die vielen bereitstehenden Fettnäpfchen nachgesagt. In der Innenpolitik reiht sich ein Reformgesetz an das andere: Föderalismusreform, Gesundheitsreform, Rentenreform und so weiter. Wenn es hakt, zeigt niemand mit dem Finger auf die Kanzlerin; in die Kritik geraten immer andere, Minister vor allem, bisweilen Fraktionssprecher, manchmal Ministerpräsidenten.
Das alles wäre nicht aufregend, hätte die Eineinhalbjahresbilanz der Kanzlerin, die zugleich CDU-Vorsitzende ist, nicht einen Makel: Die Union ist trotz allem über ihren Ausgangspunkt, das Ergebnis der Bundestagswahl 2005, nicht hinausgekommen. Die Aussicht, den ungeliebten Regierungspartner SPD abzuhängen und nach der nächsten Wahl eine Koalition mit einer handzahmeren Partei schließen zu können, ist nicht besser geworden. Da ist es ein schwacher Trost, dass die SPD noch schlechter dasteht als nach dem letzten Schröder-Wahlkampf.
Was läuft falsch in der Union, was vereitelt ihre Entfaltung, was verhindert, dass sich die Arbeitsergebnisse der Kanzlerschaft in steigender Wählerzustimmung niederschlagen? Die jüngste Ausrede von CDU-Abgeordneten, die Union leide unter den Führungsquerelen in der CSU, zieht nicht, denn Stoibers Sturz hat die Umfragewerte der Union nicht purzeln lassen; sie waren vorher und nachher auf einem ähnlichen Stand. Der ist zwar der höchste aller deutschen Parteien, verheißt aber eben nicht den Ausbruch aus der großkoalitionären Gefangenschaft.
Die mangelnde Ausstrahlung der Unionsarbeit ist nicht mit vereinzelten aufsehenerregenden Ereignissen zu erklären, sondern mit den zu wenig beachteten Schwächen des Alltagsgeschäfts. In der Viererbeziehung zwischen Kanzlerin samt Ministern, der Bundestagsfraktion und den Parteiorganisationen von CDU und CSU knackt es wie in einer schlechten Telefonleitung. Das fängt in der Ministerriege an. Die Kanzlerin demonstriert Einigkeit mit den sozialdemokratischen Ministern Müntefering und Steinbrück oder stärkt Gabriel unter Hinweis auf den Koalitionsvertrag den Rücken. Kabinettskollegen aus der Union wird die sichtliche Nähe zur Bundeskanzlerin vorenthalten. Das hat bei Schäuble und Seehofer biographische Gründe: Beide empfand Frau Merkel einst als Gegenspieler. Jung, Frau Schavan und Glos gelten als die Abgesandten starker Landesverbände beziehungsweise der Schwesterpartei. Handverlesen hat die Kanzlerin nur die Familienministerin von der Leyen und den Kanzleramtsminister de Maizière. Doch Eigengewächse haben es auch unter dem Schirm der Kanzlerin nicht immer leicht.
Unter dieser Erfahrung leidet auch die Bundestagsfraktion, die von ihrer früheren Vorsitzenden Merkel dem gegenwärtigen Vorsitzenden Kauder nur anvertraut zu sein scheint. Kauders Werdegang verstärkt diesen Eindruck: Erst hat er im Auftrag der Chefin die Partei dienstbar gemacht, dann wurde er der Fraktion vorgesetzt, um Ordnung zu halten. Erst langsam vermag Kauder zu beweisen, dass er Eigengewicht hat wie Dregger und Schäuble zu Zeiten des Kanzlers Kohl. Sein Partner Struck führt ihm täglich vor, wie man als Fraktionsvorsitzender der wichtigste Mann seiner Partei im Parlament sein kann.
Da fällt die Alltagsschwäche der Unionsfraktion erst recht auf: Obwohl sie nur fünf Bundesminister stellt, sind keine fünf Leute in der Fraktion geblieben, die mit Sicherheit das Zeug zu auch in der Außendarstellung erfolgreichen Ministern hätten. Würde die Kanzlerin eines Tages von den SPD-Ministern verlassen, könnte die Fraktion nicht einmal für den Übergang einen Außen- oder einen Finanzminister stellen. Dies wissen die 225 Abgeordneten der Union, und dennoch erfüllt sie die Konsequenz mit Unmut. Sie ärgern sich, dass "ihre" Finanzpolitik nicht von ihnen gemacht wird, sondern vom hessischen Ministerpräsidenten Koch, der seit den Koalitionsverhandlungen die Feder führt. Auch für das Großthema Sozialpolitik ist die Fraktion bis auf weiteres auf Landespolitiker wie Rüttgers und Laumann angewiesen. Selbst im Teilbereich Gesundheitspolitik mussten den Fraktionsfachleuten immer wieder andere zu Hilfe eilen. In der Familienpolitik schließlich hatte es die Fraktion hinzunehmen, dass Ministerin von der Leyen, die "nicht einmal" ein Bundestagsmandat hat, ein Konzept in die Öffentlichkeit trug, auf das sich die Fraktion nicht geeinigt hatte.
Das unangenehme Knacken setzt sich in der Verbindung zu den Parteiorganisationen vernehmlich fort. CDU-Generalsekretär Pofalla tritt in der Regel als Herold der Kanzlerin auf, ohne dass je klar würde, ob er in gleichem Maße auch der Fürsprecher der Basis bei der Parteivorsitzenden ist. Doch die CDU-Abgeordneten, die zum Beispiel ein anderes familienpolitisches Leitbild hochhielten als die Ministerin, haben das aller Wahrscheinlichkeit nach nicht gegen den Willen der Wortführer in ihren Wahlkreisen getan. Der Vorstoß der Familienministerin geht an großen Teilen der CSU vorbei, auch wenn der Nochparteivorsitzende Stoiber in seiner Restamtszeit der Partei und dem Freistaat jegliche Modernisierung überzustülpen bereit sein wird. Auch so drückt sich Torschlusspanik aus.
Die Kanzlerin wird mit großem persönlichen Einsatz das Ansehen der Unionsriege im Kabinett und in der Bundestagsfraktion aufpolieren müssen. Wenn schon ihr parlamentarischer Vorsprung gegenüber der SPD schrumpft, dann muss wenigstens die Rüstung glänzen, bevor es in den Wahlkampf geht.
Text: F.A.Z., 28.03.2007, Nr. 74 / Seite 1
Arbeitsmarkt: Koalition zerstritten über Mindestlöhne - Politik - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
Arbeitsmarkt: Koalition zerstritten über Mindestlöhne - Politik - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
In der Auseinandersetzung um Mindestlöhne verschärft sich der Ton zwischen den Koalitionspartnern. Ohne Ergebnis ging am Abend im Kanzleramt ein Spitzentreffen zuende. Unterschriftenaktionen der SPD und der CDA hatten die Stimmung im Vorfeld angeheizt.
In der Auseinandersetzung um Mindestlöhne verschärft sich der Ton zwischen den Koalitionspartnern. Ohne Ergebnis ging am Abend im Kanzleramt ein Spitzentreffen zuende. Unterschriftenaktionen der SPD und der CDA hatten die Stimmung im Vorfeld angeheizt.
Staatsfinanzen: Steinbrück meldet Defizit von nur 1,2 Prozent nach Brüssel - Wirtschaft - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
Staatsfinanzen: Steinbrück meldet Defizit von nur 1,2 Prozent nach Brüssel - Wirtschaft - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
Das Defizit in den öffentlichen Kassen entwickelt sich viel günstiger als bislang gedacht. Ende der Woche wird Finanzminister Steinbrück seine neueste Vorausschätzung für 2007 nach Brüssel melden. Nach SPIEGEL-Informationen liegt der prognostizierte Wert so niedrig wie seit Jahren nicht mehr.
Das Defizit in den öffentlichen Kassen entwickelt sich viel günstiger als bislang gedacht. Ende der Woche wird Finanzminister Steinbrück seine neueste Vorausschätzung für 2007 nach Brüssel melden. Nach SPIEGEL-Informationen liegt der prognostizierte Wert so niedrig wie seit Jahren nicht mehr.
FTD.de - Medien+Internet - Nachrichten - SAP-Vorstand Agassi dankt ab
FTD.de - Medien+Internet - Nachrichten - SAP-Vorstand Agassi dankt ab
Das Vorstandsmitglied des Softwarekonzerns SAP, Shai Agassi, verlässt das Unternehmen. Der Produktvorstand galt als Top- Kandidat für das Amt des Konzernchefs bei dem weltgrößten Hersteller von Unternehmenssoftware.
Das Vorstandsmitglied des Softwarekonzerns SAP, Shai Agassi, verlässt das Unternehmen. Der Produktvorstand galt als Top- Kandidat für das Amt des Konzernchefs bei dem weltgrößten Hersteller von Unternehmenssoftware.
FTD.de - Industrie - Nachrichten - Siemens-Affäre erreicht früheren Aufsichtsratschef
FTD.de - Industrie - Nachrichten - Siemens-Affäre erreicht früheren Aufsichtsratschef
Die Siemens-Affäre zieht weitere Kreise. Nach der Verhaftung von Zentralvorstand Johannes Feldmayer dehnen sich die Ermittlungen auf den ehemaligen Aufsichtsratschef Karl-Hermann Baumann aus. Zudem prüft die IG Metall nun eine Strafanzeige gegen den Konzern.
Die Siemens-Affäre zieht weitere Kreise. Nach der Verhaftung von Zentralvorstand Johannes Feldmayer dehnen sich die Ermittlungen auf den ehemaligen Aufsichtsratschef Karl-Hermann Baumann aus. Zudem prüft die IG Metall nun eine Strafanzeige gegen den Konzern.
FTD.de - Industrie - Nachrichten - Affäre bringt von Pierer in Erklärungsnot
FTD.de - Industrie - Nachrichten - Affäre bringt von Pierer in Erklärungsnot
Nach der Verhaftung von Vorstand Johannes Feldmayer geraten weitere Spitzenmanager in den Blickpunkt der Siemens-Affäre. Aufsichtsratschef Heinrich von Pierer kommt unter Druck, sich wegen unberechtigter Zahlungen an die Arbeitnehmerorganisation AUB zu erklären.
Nach der Verhaftung von Vorstand Johannes Feldmayer geraten weitere Spitzenmanager in den Blickpunkt der Siemens-Affäre. Aufsichtsratschef Heinrich von Pierer kommt unter Druck, sich wegen unberechtigter Zahlungen an die Arbeitnehmerorganisation AUB zu erklären.
FTD.de - Finanzdienstleister - Nachrichten - ABN Amro sträubt sich gegen Aufspaltung
FTD.de - Finanzdienstleister - Nachrichten - ABN Amro sträubt sich gegen Aufspaltung
Die im Visier des britischen Hedge-Fonds TCI stehende niederländische Bank ABN Amro hat Forderungen nach einer Aufspaltung des Konzerns abgelehnt. Einheiten, die nicht zum Kerngeschäft zählen, würden jedoch ausgegliedert.
Die im Visier des britischen Hedge-Fonds TCI stehende niederländische Bank ABN Amro hat Forderungen nach einer Aufspaltung des Konzerns abgelehnt. Einheiten, die nicht zum Kerngeschäft zählen, würden jedoch ausgegliedert.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
FT.com / Companies / Basic industries - Siemens woes deepen as executive arrested
FT.com / Companies / Basic industries - Siemens woes deepen as executive arrested
Siemens woes deepen as executive arrested
By Richard Milne in Frankfurt
Published: March 27 2007 15:37 | Last updated: March 27 2007 15:37
Siemens’ troubles reached the highest executive level on Tuesday as the first sitting management board member at Europe’s largest engineering group was arrested by prosecutors on charges of breach of trust.
Johannes Feldmayer, seen in the past as a potential chief executive of the German group, is being held in connection with an investigation by Nuremburg prosecutors into whether Siemens illegally financed a friendlier rival to its main trade union. Prosecutors also raided Siemens offices throughout Germany for a second time over the affair.
The probe is separate to a long running investigation by Munich prosecutors into alleged bribery payments mostly in its telecoms division of up to €426m. That probe has seen one former management board member arrested and another questioned as a suspect. Both men deny the charges.
Siemens said that Mr Feldmayer signed consultancy contracts in 2001 – when he was head of the group’s automation and drive unit – with Wilhelm Schelsky, the head of the AUB, a business-friendly trade union. Prosecutors say they are looking at whether any service was provided for the contracts. People familiar with the investigation add that they are checking whether Siemens supported the AUB financially.
Siemens said on Tuesday that Mr Schelsky provided education, training and advice on labour law to the company under the contracts. But he was also paid for additional services to be billed on top of the contract. Last year the money claimed for the additional services “grew and grew without any bills so we terminated the contract at the end of 2006,” a Siemens spokesman said. Mr Schelsky, who has denied wrongdoing through his lawyer, was detained on charges of breach of trust last month.
The AUB, which by its own account had about a tenth of Siemens’ German workforce as members and a majority of employees at its IT unit – which Mr Feldmayer now heads – has run a large campaign to take works council and union seats away from the more hardline and popular IG Metall.
The AUB scandal has stirred memories of recent events at Volkswagen, Europe’s largest carmaker. Peter Hartz, a former management board member at VW and an adviser to the previous Chancellor, was given a fine and suspended sentence last month after admitting to effectively buying the senior labour representative at the carmaker with €2.5m in illegal payments. Other works council members are alleged to have received payments in return for their help in negotiations and running the company.
Both scandals underline the enormous power wielded by German unions at large companies. Workers take up half of the seats on a German supervisory board under the system of co-determination that gives them a large say in strategic decisions such as the hiring of executives.
Despite pressure from the VW scandal – and the dislike of the current system expressed privately by many bosses – reform of co-determination is unlikely because it is politically sensitive and as it has fostered an unusually co-operative relationship between labour and companies. Unions in Germany have helped significantly improve companies’ competitiveness in recent years by agreeing to wage restraint and extra labour flexibility in return for job or investment guarantees.
Siemens confirmed the arrest but declined to comment further and could not provide contact details for Mr Feldmayer or his lawyer.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Siemens woes deepen as executive arrested
By Richard Milne in Frankfurt
Published: March 27 2007 15:37 | Last updated: March 27 2007 15:37
Siemens’ troubles reached the highest executive level on Tuesday as the first sitting management board member at Europe’s largest engineering group was arrested by prosecutors on charges of breach of trust.
Johannes Feldmayer, seen in the past as a potential chief executive of the German group, is being held in connection with an investigation by Nuremburg prosecutors into whether Siemens illegally financed a friendlier rival to its main trade union. Prosecutors also raided Siemens offices throughout Germany for a second time over the affair.
The probe is separate to a long running investigation by Munich prosecutors into alleged bribery payments mostly in its telecoms division of up to €426m. That probe has seen one former management board member arrested and another questioned as a suspect. Both men deny the charges.
Siemens said that Mr Feldmayer signed consultancy contracts in 2001 – when he was head of the group’s automation and drive unit – with Wilhelm Schelsky, the head of the AUB, a business-friendly trade union. Prosecutors say they are looking at whether any service was provided for the contracts. People familiar with the investigation add that they are checking whether Siemens supported the AUB financially.
Siemens said on Tuesday that Mr Schelsky provided education, training and advice on labour law to the company under the contracts. But he was also paid for additional services to be billed on top of the contract. Last year the money claimed for the additional services “grew and grew without any bills so we terminated the contract at the end of 2006,” a Siemens spokesman said. Mr Schelsky, who has denied wrongdoing through his lawyer, was detained on charges of breach of trust last month.
The AUB, which by its own account had about a tenth of Siemens’ German workforce as members and a majority of employees at its IT unit – which Mr Feldmayer now heads – has run a large campaign to take works council and union seats away from the more hardline and popular IG Metall.
The AUB scandal has stirred memories of recent events at Volkswagen, Europe’s largest carmaker. Peter Hartz, a former management board member at VW and an adviser to the previous Chancellor, was given a fine and suspended sentence last month after admitting to effectively buying the senior labour representative at the carmaker with €2.5m in illegal payments. Other works council members are alleged to have received payments in return for their help in negotiations and running the company.
Both scandals underline the enormous power wielded by German unions at large companies. Workers take up half of the seats on a German supervisory board under the system of co-determination that gives them a large say in strategic decisions such as the hiring of executives.
Despite pressure from the VW scandal – and the dislike of the current system expressed privately by many bosses – reform of co-determination is unlikely because it is politically sensitive and as it has fostered an unusually co-operative relationship between labour and companies. Unions in Germany have helped significantly improve companies’ competitiveness in recent years by agreeing to wage restraint and extra labour flexibility in return for job or investment guarantees.
Siemens confirmed the arrest but declined to comment further and could not provide contact details for Mr Feldmayer or his lawyer.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
FT.com / World / Europe - German business confidence surges
FT.com / World / Europe - German business confidence surges
German business confidence surges
By Ralph Atkins in Frankfurt
Published: March 27 2007 11:33 | Last updated: March 27 2007 11:55
German business confidence has bounced back close to a historic high this month, shrugging off fears of a US economic slowdown and the prospect of higher eurozone interest rates.
The unexpected rise in the Munich-based Ifo institute’s business climate index, from 107.0 in February to 107.7 in March, suggests Europe’s largest economy successfully withstood a three percentage point rise in value-added-tax and is on track for another impressive growth spurt this year.
“The upswing is strong and robust,” said Hans-Werner Sinn, Ifo’s president.
The upbeat survey strengthens the case for the European Central Bank to lift interest rates again – even though the US Federal Reserve maybe moving towards cutting borrowing costs. The ECB raised its main rate to a five-year high of 3.75 per cent earlier this month, and financial markets have pencilled in another quarter percentage point rise for June.
Preliminary German inflation figures yesterday suggested pricing pressures were mounting within the 13-country eurozone, perhaps as an unexpectedly-delayed result of the VAT hike. The ECB fears generous German wage settlements will add to underlying inflationary pressures.
After years of sluggish growth, the German economy returned in 2006 to its traditional role as Europe’s economic powerhouse, notching up its fastest-growth rate since the start of the decade.The Ifo index, based on a survey of 7,000 industrial companies, was one of the first indicators to pick-up the strength of the turnaround – even if analysts believed for much of last year that it was exaggerating its scale.
After peaking at 108.7 in December – the highest since the survey started in 1991 - the index fell in January and February this year, probably as a result of the VAT rise. But the latest survey showed both the assessment by businesses of the current situation and expectations about the next six months had improved in March. That suggested little, if any, European fall-out from problems in the US “sub-prime” mortgage market, or from the strengthening of the euro.
A large part of the explanation is that Germany’s upswing is becoming driven increasingly by domestic demand. The still-improving mood in German manufacturing was “all the more remarkable because expectations about overseas business have remained almost unchanged,” said Mr Sinn.
French business confidence also rose unexpectedly in March to the highest level for almost a year, according to a survey earlier this week, although a similar survey for Italy showed a slight dip in the mood.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
German business confidence surges
By Ralph Atkins in Frankfurt
Published: March 27 2007 11:33 | Last updated: March 27 2007 11:55
German business confidence has bounced back close to a historic high this month, shrugging off fears of a US economic slowdown and the prospect of higher eurozone interest rates.
The unexpected rise in the Munich-based Ifo institute’s business climate index, from 107.0 in February to 107.7 in March, suggests Europe’s largest economy successfully withstood a three percentage point rise in value-added-tax and is on track for another impressive growth spurt this year.
“The upswing is strong and robust,” said Hans-Werner Sinn, Ifo’s president.
The upbeat survey strengthens the case for the European Central Bank to lift interest rates again – even though the US Federal Reserve maybe moving towards cutting borrowing costs. The ECB raised its main rate to a five-year high of 3.75 per cent earlier this month, and financial markets have pencilled in another quarter percentage point rise for June.
Preliminary German inflation figures yesterday suggested pricing pressures were mounting within the 13-country eurozone, perhaps as an unexpectedly-delayed result of the VAT hike. The ECB fears generous German wage settlements will add to underlying inflationary pressures.
After years of sluggish growth, the German economy returned in 2006 to its traditional role as Europe’s economic powerhouse, notching up its fastest-growth rate since the start of the decade.The Ifo index, based on a survey of 7,000 industrial companies, was one of the first indicators to pick-up the strength of the turnaround – even if analysts believed for much of last year that it was exaggerating its scale.
After peaking at 108.7 in December – the highest since the survey started in 1991 - the index fell in January and February this year, probably as a result of the VAT rise. But the latest survey showed both the assessment by businesses of the current situation and expectations about the next six months had improved in March. That suggested little, if any, European fall-out from problems in the US “sub-prime” mortgage market, or from the strengthening of the euro.
A large part of the explanation is that Germany’s upswing is becoming driven increasingly by domestic demand. The still-improving mood in German manufacturing was “all the more remarkable because expectations about overseas business have remained almost unchanged,” said Mr Sinn.
French business confidence also rose unexpectedly in March to the highest level for almost a year, according to a survey earlier this week, although a similar survey for Italy showed a slight dip in the mood.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
FTD.de - Industrie - Nachrichten - Siemens-Zentralvorstand in U-Haft
FTD.de - Industrie - Nachrichten - Siemens-Zentralvorstand in U-Haft
Erneuter Nackenschlag für Siemens: Zentralvorstand Johannes Feldmayer ist verhaftet worden. Damit treffen die Ermittlungen um Schmiergeldzahlungen des Konzerns erstmals einen noch aktiven Manager. Zudem untersuchte die Staatsanwaltschaft erneut Büros des Konzerns.
Erneuter Nackenschlag für Siemens: Zentralvorstand Johannes Feldmayer ist verhaftet worden. Damit treffen die Ermittlungen um Schmiergeldzahlungen des Konzerns erstmals einen noch aktiven Manager. Zudem untersuchte die Staatsanwaltschaft erneut Büros des Konzerns.
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - Union offen für kleinen Mindestlohn
FTD.de - Deutschland - Nachrichten - Union offen für kleinen Mindestlohn
Die CDU/CSU erwägt, für Arbeitnehmer eine Art von Mindestlohn einzuführen, wenn sie in den Genuss von staatlich finanzierten Kombilöhnen kommen. Einen flächendeckenden Mindestlohn, wie er von der SPD gefordert wird, lehnt die Union jedoch weiterhin ab.
Die CDU/CSU erwägt, für Arbeitnehmer eine Art von Mindestlohn einzuführen, wenn sie in den Genuss von staatlich finanzierten Kombilöhnen kommen. Einen flächendeckenden Mindestlohn, wie er von der SPD gefordert wird, lehnt die Union jedoch weiterhin ab.
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