"This is a government programme that will bring the country together and not divide it," she told reporters. The former European Parliament president launched his campaign one week ago vowing to achieve "more social justice", with reforms to taxes as well as unemployment and childcare benefits. "We are looking forward to the future with gusto and we have the strength for it," a confident Merkel declared. Lower taxes promoting higher consumer spending and thereby increased imports were seen as a gesture to foreign critics of Germany's massive trade surplus. But as the arrivals have slowed sharply, the issue has faded from public debate, as the upstart anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party slipped back into single digits in the polls.

Source: The Local July 03, 2017 13:41 UTC