Photo Gallery Empty Election Promises
Two weeks after the German election, the new coalition government is struggling with the consequences of the economic crisis. Here, CDU leader Angela Merkel and FDP chief Guido Westerwelle (second from right) enjoy a lighter moment with their colleagues during coalition talks last week.
Read the article: Germany's New Government Faces Reality Check
The German Taxpayers Association's "debt meter" shows the German national debt, which is rising at 4,439 per second and which now totals more than 1.6 trillion, according to the association. Both the Christian Democrats and the FDP want to lower taxes to please the electorate, but Germany's huge budget deficit means that cost-cutting and tax hikes are more realistic.
Read the article: Germany's New Government Faces Reality Check
Nuclear power is one of the issues under discussion during the coalition talks. The CDU and FDP want to extend the operating lives of nuclear power plants, overturning an earlier law which foresaw a phase-out of nuclear power by around 2020.
Read the article: Germany's New Government Faces Reality Check
Health care is another key issue, and one which divides the two partners in the government. The FDP wants to totally reform the current system, while the CDU just wants to tinker with it.
Read the article: Germany's New Government Faces Reality Check
Regulation of the labor market is yet another bone of contention. The FDP wants to make it easier for companies to hire and fire employees.
Read the article: Germany's New Government Faces Reality Check
