German lawmakers elected Social Democrat Olaf Scholz as chancellor on Wednesday last week, ending 16 years of conservative rule under Angela Merkel. Merkel, 67, Germany’s first woman chancellor, retired from politics after four consecutive terms, is Germany’s first post-war leader to step aside of her own accord.
Merkel belongs to the center-right Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), while the Social Democratic Party (SPD), to which Scholz belongs, is center-left in the political spectrum. In the past four years, Scholz served as vice chancellor and finance minister in coalition with Merkel.
Former mayor of Hamburg and Germany’s labor minister during the global financial crisis, Scholz, 63, who turned emulating Merkel in style and substance into a winning strategy, forged a “traffic light” coalition — a name deriving from the respective parties’ colors — with the pro-spending, environmentalist Greens and the fiscally more conservative, libertarian Free Democrats (FDP).
Photo: Reuters 照片：路透
This is Germany’s first national three-way ruling coalition, bringing together unlikely political bedfellows. The alliance aims to slash carbon emissions, overhaul decrepit digital infrastructure, modernize citizenship laws, lift the minimum wage and have Germany join a handful of countries worldwide in legalizing marijuana.
Scholz leads a 17-member Cabinet, with one more minister than Merkel’s. This is Germany’s first gender-balanced Cabinet, with women making up half the number (excluding the chancellor himself).
Annalena Baerbock, Greens co-leader and the new foreign minister, has promised to put human rights back at the center of German diplomacy, and pledged a tougher line with authoritarian states such as Russia and China after the business-driven pragmatism of the Merkel years.
Photo: Bloomberg 照片：彭博社
Scholz and his team promise stability just as France braces for a bitterly fought presidential election next year and Europe grapples with the enduring aftershocks of Brexit.
(Lin Lee-kai, Taipei Times)
德國議員上週三選出社會民主黨的奧拉夫‧蕭茲為總理，結束了安格拉‧梅克爾長達十六年的保守執政。六十七歲的梅克爾是德國首位女總理，在連續四屆任期結束後從政壇退休。她是德國戰後第一位主動辭職的領導人。
梅克爾屬於中間偏右的基督教民主黨（CDU），蕭茲所屬的社會民主黨（SPD），其政治光譜為中間偏左。在過去四年中，蕭茲為梅克爾政府之副總理兼財政部長。
現年六十三歲的蕭茲曾任漢堡市長，並曾在全球金融危機期間擔任德國勞工部長。蕭茲在風格及實質上對梅克爾的仿效，成為他勝選的戰略。社民黨的他與擁護支出、關心環保的綠黨，以及財政上較保守的、自由派的自由民主黨（FDP），組成了「紅綠燈」聯盟，以這三個政黨的顏色（紅、綠、黃）命名。
這是德國史上第一個三方執政聯盟，將過去不太可能是政治夥伴的三個政黨聯合在一起。該聯盟之政策目標為減少碳排放、翻新老舊的數位基礎設施、將公民法現代化、提高最低工資，以及合法化大麻，讓德國加入全球少數幾個大麻合法化國家之行列。
蕭茲領導的內閣有十七位成員，比梅克爾內閣多一位部長。這也是德國第一個性別平衡的內閣，除了總理蕭茲，內閣有一半的成員為女性。
新任的外交部長安娜萊娜‧貝爾伯克為綠黨聯合領導人，她承諾將人權重新置於德國外交的中心，對俄羅斯和中國等威權國家採取更強硬的立場，一反過去梅克爾時代以商業為導向的實用主義。
蕭茲及其團隊承諾維持穩定，在法國準備迎接明年激烈的總統大選，歐洲正努力克服英國脫歐後續的餘震之際。
(台北時報林俐凱)
A Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel “Shunxin-39” was believed to have caused damage to an undersea cable of Taiwan telecoms operator Chunghwa Telecom on the morning of Jan. 3. It was suspected that the Chinese merchant ship, which was registered with the nationality of another country, deliberately cut off the cable by dragging the anchor over it. While the incident is still under investigation, China has a long history of using maritime tactics to sabotage Taiwan’s infrastructure. In February last year, two cables linking Taiwan to its outlying Matsu Islands were damaged within days of each other by a Chinese fishing
Have you ever dreamed of using an entire city as your training ground, effortlessly moving across walls, buildings, stairs, and obstacles? This is not just a fantasy from the movies. In cities around the world, a group of enthusiasts practice this seemingly impossible sport — “parkour.” The origins of parkour can be traced back to 20th-century France. A military officer named Georges-Hebert witnessed the incredible physical abilities of local residents in Africa, which inspired him to create the Methode Naturelle, or natural method. This training method cleverly combined climbing, running, and swimming with artificial barriers to mimic nature. Later, David Belle
A: Who else is on Billboard’s list: “The 25 greatest pop stars of the 21st Century?” B: No. 15 to 6 are: Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Usher, Adele, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Kanye West and Britney Spears. A: I can’t believe that Adele’s only at No. 10. B: No. 5 to 1 are: Lady Gaga, Drake, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Beyonce. A: Well, they surely deserve the honor. A: 《告示牌》雜誌的「21世紀最偉大的25位流行歌手」，還有誰上榜啊？ B: 第15至6名是：麥莉希拉、大賈斯汀、妮姬米娜、阿姆、亞瑟小子、愛黛兒、亞莉安娜、小賈斯汀、肯伊威斯特、小甜甜布蘭妮。 A: 真不敢相信愛黛兒只排第10名。 B: 第5至1名是：女神卡卡、德瑞克、蕾哈娜、泰勒絲、碧昂絲。 A: 這幾位真是實至名歸！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
A: The 21st Century is now entering its 25th year. B: So Billboard has released a list: “The 25 greatest pop stars of the 21st Century.” A: Who are the greatest pop singers? B: No. 25 to 16 are: Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Bad Bunny, One Direction, Lil Wayne, Bruno Mars, BTS, The Weeknd, Shakira and Jay-Z. A: Wow, my favorite K-pop supergroup BTS has made it to the list. A: 21世紀正在邁入第25個年頭了。 B: 《告示牌》雜誌特別公布：「21世紀最偉大的25位流行歌手」。 A: 最偉大的歌手有哪些？ B: 第25至16名是：凱蒂佩芮、紅髮艾德、壞痞兔、1世代、小韋恩、火星人布魯諾、防彈少年團（BTS）、威肯、夏奇拉、Jay-Z。 A: 哇，我最愛的韓流天團BTS也上榜了！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
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