"A Great Deal of Strength in this Country"

SPIEGEL in-depth interview with German chancellor Gerhard Schröder about the intended tax cuts, his expectations towards the political opposition and the SPD's new understanding of the state:

"We have decided to sound a triad. Firstly: the Agenda 2010 has got to be implemented, and secondly an appropriate budget needs to be presented for 2004 which is not counterproductive and which may well involve reductions in subsidies. If that is done then - thirdly - it is appropriate to reinforce the tendencies towards an upswing by bringing forward the next phase of the tax reform. ... I think it is in the interest of both Ms. Merkel and Mr. Stoiber that our cooperation should succeed. They seem to sense that we are now in a situation in which we either make it work, or really do get into bigger problems - both nationally and internationally. Anyone who resists the necessary changes certainly cannot expect to receive the electorate's approval. ... I have invited Ms. Merkel and Mr. Stoiber for talks - initially just the three of us, to sound out what options we have. What I have heard so far is a mixture of no, yes-but-no, and yes subject to certain conditions. ... I see the feeling developing in the SPD for a new balance between liberty and equality. ... [The state] has to ensure that we remain on the current level in terms of the state's share in the gross domestic product. It's no longer possible to slap anything on top. Even within the existing framework, there has to be a shift in emphasis: the state has got to change the proportion of consumption and investment expenditures. In an ageing society this means we have to deal with the issues of the expenditure situation in providing for old age. Of course the state must in future too continue to feel responsible for the major risks in life, unemployment and illness. At the same time we need more individual responsibility, because what we would like to see in the way of benefits cannot be achieved."

"Smoking Gun"

North Korea: The North Korean nuclear programme is apparently designed to produce highly enriched uranium for xx bombs a year.

"Bayreuth Has to Be Avant-Garde"

SPIEGEL in-depth interview with Wolfgang Wagner about the spectacular shift in his policy for the festival towards modern director-theatre, and about the continuing discussions concerning his successor:

"One moment I'm a reactionary, the next revolutionary. I no longer care what they write: once your reputation is in ruins, you can proceed to live without any inhibitions. ... Just you try finding a director who knows anything about music these days! Many aren't even interested in it. ... I wasn't afraid with Patrice Chérau's 'Ring' or Heiner Müller's 'Tristan', either. Neither of them had any experience with opera, yet both produced works that were truly worthy of Bayreuth. Now Schlingensief is to have his chance. ... The personages who are responsible in the foundation council have not produced a single acceptable proposal, because the plans of the candidates who hoped to take over the management of the festival were, in each and every case, confused, half-baked and unrealistic."

"In the Utmost Secrecy"

Corporate groups: Until now, Volkswagen has only supplied small commercial vehicles. Now this is to change. VW intends to take over the lorry manufacturer MAN. The preparations took place in the utmost secrecy. But the take-over appears to make sense for everyone involved. MAN is under considerable pressure. All manufacturers of commercial vehicles are currently faced with excess production capacity, demand is lukewarm, and lorries can often only be sold at discounts of 30 or 40 percent. The Volkswagen Group, too, is in urgent need of consolidation on this market.

"Those Who Remain Silent, Make Themselves Guilty"

SPIEGEL in-depth interview with Bishop Joseph Zen about the attack of the Communists on civil rights in Hong Kong, his appeal for resistance, and the battle for freedom of worship in the People's Republic of China:

"Of course there are still more liberties here than in Beijing or Shanghai. But the Communists are trying to undermine them more and more. This is the main reason for the mass protests. ... Of the 50 or so bishops loyal to Rome, almost all are subject to state repression even today. The situation is very unpleasant. ... I have encouraged people to take to the streets for more democracy, and against a bad law."

New power struggle in the Kremlin, between Putin and Khordorkovski.

"Experiment in the Womb"

Prenatal medicine: Thomas Kohl, a surgeon in Bonn, has developed a unique technique. He penetrates the uteri of pregnant women with an endoscope in order to operate on deformed foetuses. The procedure is risky and its benefits have not been conclusively proven. Many parents nevertheless view it as their last hope.

"Reading without Words"

Brain research: Dyslexics can overcome their weakness while playing games. Brain researchers have developed a training programme which distinctly improves reading performance - entirely without letters. Over the past years, dyslexia research has come more and more to the conclusion that this weakness in reading and writing is neither a deficit purely in vision nor purely in hearing. Instead, the problem seems to be the way in which the two sensory channels intermesh - because reading consists precisely in connecting symbols and sounds.

"Now Realism Is Arriving"

SPIEGEL in-depth interview with Florian Illies about the odysseys and economic crashes of today's thirty-somethings, route planers for the way out of the crisis and his book "Generation Golf zwei":

"What was unusual for our generation was the speed with which it made it to the top and the speed with which things went downhill again immediately afterwards. ... The people who are politically lame are actually those who are now 40, they really are pretty feeble. ... Nowadays you notice that it is precisely those who once preached that 'We have only borrowed the world from our children', who almost unhesitatingly live at the expense of the younger generation in terms of old-age pensions and health care cost. ... Today, even Lord Dahrendorf is saying that the generation of 1968 has to go, other people must do the job. ... I want to help shape society through my books, by describing it until you are forced to laugh - or until it hurts."

"A Kick on the Shins"

SPIEGEL interview with world and Olympic champion Nadine Capellmann about the dependence of a rider on his or her horse, her quarrel with the national coach and the doping incident involving the gelding ridden by her German rival Ulla Salzgeber:

"I think horse and rider win together. But if something goes wrong, it is in fact usually because of a mistake by the rider. ... You invest so much into the sport, and if you get a kick on the shins that does of course hurt, there's no doubt about it. The national coach made some remarks which I take personally - and I think they were intended that way too. ... The newspaper "Die Welt" once published a saying that was making the rounds in the scene, which was that Mr. Schmezer has a Balkenhol complex. ... You can't talk of a doping problem just because of isolated cases. When the world's number one is under suspicion that is of course particularly damaging in terms of image."