Allianz CEO Oliver Bäte has reignited the debate on employee rights by proposing a “Karenztag” where sick employees would forgo pay on the first day of illness, a topic previously discussed in 2005 and now gaining traction amidst the 2025 economic crisis. Unions and the FDP opposed this idea in the past, but parts of the CDU are now open to it, as discussed by POLITICO’s Gordon Repinski and health expert Jürgen Klöckner. In other news, the Austrian government formation is now influenced by the right-wing FPÖ, led by Herbert Kickl, potentially altering the country’s migration policy, while the CSU Winterklausur in Seeon anticipates the arrival of Union Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz, with questions on how much Bavarian support he will receive.
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EU set to drop bourbon from retaliatory tariffs list against US
The EU will remove bourbon from its list of retaliatory tariffs against the US following lobbying from France, Italy, and Ireland to protect their alcohol industries from the trade war. US President Donald Trump had threatened tariffs on EU wine and spirits, leading to fears of economic damage in Europe. The European drinks industry, particularly France, faces significant export losses, prompting debates among European governments on how to support affected industries. Full Article
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