BERLIN (Reuters) – Germans believe a “grand coalition” of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives and the opposition Social Democrats (SPD) would rule the country better than her current fractious cabinet, a survey showed on Sunday.

Some 41 percent of Germans believe such a coalition would be best placed to solve Germany’s problems, according to the Emnid poll published by mass-selling Bild am Sonntag. Just 12 percent were in favor of the current coalition of conservatives and pro-business Free Democrats (FDP).

BERLIN (Reuters) – Greece is at a crossroads and will need to implement “much stricter structural reforms” than seen so far, IMF mission chief to Greece Poul Thomsen was quoted as saying by a German paper on Saturday.

The gloomy comments suggested the IMF was still unsure whether current talks on a vital aid tranche for Athens would conclude positively, given doubts over Greece’s willingness to reform and the impact of Greek strikes and riots.

BERLIN, Oct 9 (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel
will thrash out differences with French President Nicolas
Sarkozy on Sunday over how to use the euro zone’s financial
firepower to counter a sovereign debt crisis threatening the
global economy.

With the turmoil threatening to spiral into financial
meltdown as the value of banks’ sovereign bond holdings slide,
Merkel and Sarkozy are likely to discuss in Berlin both how to
manage Greece, prevent contagion and strengthen lenders.

BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel will thrash out differences with French President Nicolas Sarkozy Sunday over how to use the euro zone’s financial firepower to counter a sovereign debt crisis threatening the global economy.

With the turmoil threatening to spiral into financial meltdown as the value of banks’ sovereign bond holdings slide, Merkel and Sarkozy are likely to discuss in Berlin both how to manage Greece, prevent contagion and strengthen lenders.

BERLIN (Reuters) – Greece is at a crossroads and will need to implement “much stricter structural reforms” to avoid default, IMF mission chief to Greece Poul Thomsen was cited as saying by a German paper on Saturday.

The gloomy comments suggested it was still unsure whether current talks on a vital aid tranche for Athens would conclude positively, given doubts over its willingness to reform and Greek strikes and riots.

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s justice minister on Saturday warned her Free Democrat party (FDP), the troubled junior partner in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition, to support its European policy or risk becoming unfit to govern.

Support for the FDP has shrivelled since the last general election, with the latest poll showing them lagging even the upstart Pirate party at just 3 percent, and this has provoked internal soul-searching and infighting over strategy.

BERLIN, Oct 8 (Reuters) – Germany’s justice minister on
Saturday warned her Free Democrat party (FDP), the troubled
junior partner in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition, to
support its European policy or risk becoming unfit to govern.

Support for the FDP has shrivelled since the last general
election, with the latest poll showing them lagging even the
upstart Pirate party at just 3 percent, and this has provoked
internal soul-searching and infighting over strategy.

BERLIN, Oct 8 (Reuters) – Germany’s justice minister on
Saturday warned her Free Democrat party (FDP), the troubled
junior partner in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition, to
support the government’s European policy or risk becoming unfit
to govern.

Support for the FDP has plummeted since the last general
election, with the latest poll showing them lagging even the
upstart Pirate party at just 3 percent, provoking internal
soul-searching and infighting over strategy.

BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday Europe should not hesitate to recapitalise its banks if this prevents greater economic damage, and leaders would take very seriously expert advice that the time was ripe for such a step.

She added banks should first tap markets to boost liquidity and then turn to national governments and use the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) as a last resort.

BERLIN, Oct 6 (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel
said on Thursday Europe should not hesitate to recapitalise its
banks if this prevents greater economic damage, and leaders
would take very seriously expert advice that the time was ripe
for such a step.

She added banks should first tap markets to boost liquidity
and then turn to national governments and use the European
Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) as a last resort.