A man described in a recent biography as being “too soft, too liberal” is the favourite to succeed German Chancellor Angela Merkel as the Christian Democrats’ candidate in the next federal election next year.
Armin Laschet, 59, is Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state.
The former journalist first made a name for himself as the first minister for integration in the state of 18 million people, having been a member of the CDU since he was 18.
The practising Catholic is regarded as the Merkel continuity candidate and is hoping to secure leadership of the governing party at the CDU congress on December 4.
He is up against former Member of the European Parliament and plain-speaking businessman Freidrich Merz, and Norbert Roettgen, the former federal minister for environment under Mrs Merkel, from 2009 and 2012.
Although his main rival, Mr Merz, is more popular among voters, Mr Laschet looks likely to win the popularity contest within the party, as he builds a majority of the CDU’s 1,001 voting delegates.
French connection
Mr Laschet has been busy making the inroads in Europe over the past eight weeks.
He held a private meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, his third this year, and met with Pope Francis.
He has looked to strengthen relations with the French president, and at the last meeting brought up the Lebanese singer Fairouz, of whom he and Mr Macron are fans.
As a former MEP and a French speaker of Belgian descent, who holds the position of plenipotentiary in charge of Franco-German cultural relations, Mr Laschet has strong ties to the French government.
He could be a key ally to France when dealing with the EU's future challenges.
Mr Laschet met EU leaders in Brussels this year and travelled to Israel to open a trade and innovation office in Tel Aviv, the first of its kind.
Unlike Mr Roettgen, who has been critical of Israeli policies, Mr Laschet is a staunch supporter.
The migration question
Over the years, Mr Laschet has been unwaveringly loyal to Mrs Merkel, despite the backlash she endured after welcoming more than 1.7 million asylum seekers into the country in 2015.
In August, he visited some of the refugee camps on the Greek islands and met the country’s Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias.
Mr Laschet called on the EU to “wake up” and find lasting solutions to the migration crisis.
North Rhine-Westphalia agreed the following month to take in another 1,000 refugees from Greece after the infamous Moria camp went up in flames, displacing thousands of people.
Mr Laschet wants to address the refugee crisis by deepening relations with countries on the other side of the Mediterranean, including Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia.
He even floated the idea in an interview about offering them access to the European market.
But domestically, he has since called for a tougher stance on asylum seekers.
Contrary to many regional leaders in Germany, he was against border closures to stave off the coronavirus and thus left borders open in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The CDU is dominating the polls with about 35 per cent of the vote, and if Mr Laschet becomes the party leader there is a strong chance he will become the next chancellor of Germany.
But with the elections not being held until next autumn, this is far from guaranteed.
Germany’s Greens have had momentum and increased election hopes over the last couple of years.
Compared to the other CDU contenders, Mr Laschet may have more of chance of forming a coalition with the rival party.
He has been working with the Greens since the 1990s as part of the Pizza-Connection, a group of CDU and Green MPs that meet regularly to identify the party’s political similarities.
The CDU, Free Democratic Party and Greens nearly forged a three-party alliance in 2017, but that plan failed after the FDP withdrew from the negotiations.
Mrs Merkel has made positive noises about Mr Laschet.
When she visited North Rhine-Westphalia on August 18, she said Mr Laschet had "the tools" to run for chancellor, in the closest she has come to endorsing any potential successors.
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Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
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- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
The National's picks
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5.10pm: Continous
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Rating: 4/5
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
