SPD
The SPD (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, or Social Democratic Party of Germany) is one of Germany's oldest and largest political parties, founded in 1863. It is traditionally the main centre-left force in German politics and has long been one of the two dominant parties in the Bundestag, alongside the CDU/CSU. The party entered government in 2021 at the head of a coalition led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
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Czech coalition agrees to halve payments to Ukrainian refugees under Lex Ukrajina amendments
The Czech governing coalition has reached a compromise on amendments to the Lex Ukrajina bill that would roughly halve humanitarian payments to Ukrainians with temporary protection, rather than cancel them entirely. SPD, which pushed for full cancellation, accepted the deal as part of the three-party coalition. The planned savings of about 4 billion Czech crowns are already reflected in the draft budget, and the bill is expected to be voted on quickly.
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Former German Chancellor Schröder celebrated Putin's 74th birthday in Moscow, drawing condemnation from Berlin and Brussels
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder joined Vladimir Putin at Putin's home on 7 October to mark Putin's 74th birthday, according to the Kremlin. The visit triggered sharp criticism from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, senior Bundestag figures, EU leaders, and members of Schröder's own SPD, while some in the SPD defended the trip as a possible opening for mediation. Schröder travelled to Moscow in connection with the Russian subsidiary of the German Globus hypermarket chain, of whose supervisory board he is a member.
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Merz accuses Russia of supporting Germany's far-right AfD, offers no evidence
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a speech in Münster that Russia supports the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, without providing concrete evidence. The remarks came at the International Westphalian Peace Prize ceremony, whose 2025 laureate is NATO, and follow a sharp drop in support for Merz's CDU in two regional elections.