Political News:
German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Marcel Kusch | Picture Alliance | Getty Images
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling conservative party might seem like the unlikely source of sexual innuendo but the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) revealed on Thursday that it “has a little fetish” — “solid finances.”
Taking to Twitter on Thursday, the CDU said, according to a CNBC translation: “Yes, we have to admit, we have a little fetish: Solid finances with no new debt! That is practicing generational fairness. And the best way to invest in the future. We consider both sides. And our household shows: Pursuing both works!”
Within the tweet, the CDU had a picture of a black zero wearing an dominatrix-style hat. The “black zero” (or “schwarze Null”) is widely known for being the name of the government’s policy (and some see it as an obsession) of maintaining a balanced budget and not incurring any new debt.
It might not seem like everyone’s idea of fun but Germany, Europe’s largest economy, certainly has a long-standing penchant for fiscal prudence. The CDU has enshrined this in government policies, despite pressure from opposition parties to spend more with the country narrowly avoiding a technical recession twice this year.
The latest growth data released earlier in November showed the economy grew just 0.1% in the third quarter. Even Merkel’s ally, French President Emmanuel Macron, accused Germany of havi
