HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ---------------------------[Is it just me or is the picture of Schroeder inspecting the troops below just a little too reminiscent of WWII Germany. Those GREY UNIFORMS! My god...makes the blood run cold...
PS. Merry Christmas to all celebrating Orthodox Christians (HRISTOS SE RODI!)]
Monday, 7 January, 2002, 13:19 GMT
Schroeder accused by sister
Oh brother: Gerhard Schroeder is eyeing September poll
The German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, has come under attack from an unusual quarter - his sister.
I have to buy shoes and clothing not for fun, but because my children are constantly growing out of them
Ilse Bruecke
Ilse Bruecke is angry at the withdrawal of tax benefits for lone parents like herself. Ms Bruecke, 48, who has two sons aged five and 15, told Bild newspaper: "I'm incensed that the government is treating single parents worse than before - that's not why I voted for them." The chancellor's policies would cost her about 1,227 euros
(�760) a year.
Sending troops to Afghanistan caused major dissent
"It's outrageous," she said. "I have to buy shoes and clothing not for fun, but because my children are constantly growing out of them." Ms Bruecke said she had been reluctant to comment on her brother's policies, but felt compelled to do so after listening to other single parents. "All of my colleagues who are single parents have talked to me about the new law. "I am not judging my brother's policies as a whole, but in this case, as a single mother, you cannot deny that I have a certain competence."
Confidence vote
Mr Schroeder, who faces a general election in September, has not responded to the attack, but he has been busy fending off criticism on other issues. In November last year the lower house of the German parliament narrowly passed a motion of confidence in Mr Schroeder's coalition government. Mr Schroeder called the confidence motion after some Greens in the governing coalition threatened to vote against German military deployment in Afghanistan in support of the war on terror. Polls also show that support is slipping among voters for his Social Democrats and the Greens.
Teflon chancellor
Economic analysts expect German unemployment to go over four million this winter. Nevertheless, polls also show that most Germans believe Mr Schroeder is doing a good job. The "Teflon chancellor," as some have called him, has even defied such potential body blows as last year's revelation that one of his long-lost cousins worked for the former East German secret police, the Stasi. And he will be hoping to ride his good fortune at least until September's elections. Leading economics institutes say Germany will grow by less than 1% in 2002, after entering a minor recession in the final two quarters of 2001. Mr Schroeder has been forced to admit he will not fulfil one of his main promises of the 1998 election campaign - to cut unemployment to 3.5 million. And he has refused to launch a stimulus programme because spending increases would breach European Union budget rules. That now leaves Europe's largest economy without a plan to spur growth, and dependent on a US recovery to boost its exports.
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