Alexander Kloss

Jan 31, 2024 | europeanfocus.eu | Alexander Kloss

The scenes were unruly: earlier this month, demonstrators heckled German economic affairs minister Robert Habeck as he returned by ferry from the island of Hooge off the country’s northern coast, and prevented him from disembarking. Hundreds turned out to voice their grievances, and while the situation did not escalate, it set the scene for a month of intense protests.

Dec 12, 2023 | europeanfocus.eu | Alexander Kloss

As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches the two-year mark, the government of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy finds itself in deep water. The counter-offensive has proved far less decisive than expected, and domestic criticism is mounting. To make matters worse, international support for Ukraine is also waning. According to a study by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) Western aid to Ukraine has fallen to its lowest level since January 2022.

Dec 1, 2023 | thelocal.de | Alexander Kloss

After a tumultuous year for the housing market in Germany, there are few signs of improvement. In fact, the situation may just get worse in 2024, according to experts. As early as 2021, Deutsche Bank predicted that the boom cycle in the German real estate market would come to an end in the near future. The expiry date they gave: 2024. Half a pandemic and an energy crisis later, their analysis seems all but certain.

Nov 28, 2023 | thelocal.de | Alexander Kloss

The CDU-led government in Berlin is putting the controversial issue of building flats on Tempelhof airfield back on the agenda. Could it lead to another referendum? What's happening? The centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Berlin is exploring new options for using 'Tempelhofer Feld' as a site for new housing. Specifically, it wants to hold a new referendum on designating certain parts of the former 360-hectare airfield-turned-green space for housing construction.

Nov 27, 2023 | thelocal.de | Alexander Kloss

A new international ranking by Education First found that Germany as a whole had a "very high" level of English proficiency, which saw it placed in the world's top 10 albeit behind neighbours Austria and the Netherlands. But perhaps the biggest surprise in the rankings this year was seen when looking in more detail at how well English is spoken in different parts of Germany.