A critical look at the demand for a female Federal President
AI-generated summary
The debate about the successor to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is a recurring topic in German politics.
Friedrich Merz said about Steinmeier's successor: "I am determined that it has to be a woman." Of all the genders that were available, the Chancellor actually chose a woman as Federal President. A very risky decision. Women can be Chancellor or President of the EU Commission, but can they also do what men like Steinmeier can do? Doing a completely unnecessary job, flying around meaningfully and saying words of caution at Christmas that everyone immediately forgets.
Can you really expect a woman to do this mind-numbing work, and who would volunteer for such a position? Isn't Merz's decision a humiliation for all women? It is not yet known which woman the Chancellor will want. It could happen to practically anyone. Women know this feeling of insecurity all too well. Has Friedrich Merz possibly committed a criminal offense? Isn't fixating on a woman a form of political catcalling, or actually sexual harassment?

The Republicans failed in the US midterm elections despite over $400 million in campaign aid from Elon Musk. The Democrats won with a wide range of candidates and conveyed confidence that credibility and concepts matter more than money and good relationships.

Inflation in the euro zone once again exceeds four percent. In addition to energy prices, AI investments and an expansionary fiscal policy are driving inflation. Due to the ongoing situation, experts do not see any easing trend until spring.

The Democratic victory in the US midterms leads to political power sharing. While this stabilizes the markets in the short term, in the long term the president's domestic political paralysis poses a new, acute risk for the financial world.

The US midterm elections are developing into a brilliant reckoning with Donald Trump and his politics. Despite his absence from the ballot, the election is seen as his personal and devastating defeat.

After the US midterms, the electorate punished Donald Trump even though he was not on the ballot. According to the SPIEGEL editorial by Mathieu von Rohr, this is the beginning of the president's political endgame.

During a state visit to Berlin, President Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirmed Germany's role as Ukraine's most important defense partner. Chancellor Friedrich Merz is described as determined but increasingly helpless as the future of Ukraine is being decided in Moscow and Washington. The US government announced peace talks with Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi next week, without the Europeans at the table.