REGIERUNGSAKTIVITÄTEN
Minister verkündet Budgetdetails vorab
= minister gives/rolls out pre-budget pitch/heads-up to media/journalists
heute stellt die Regierung das Budget vor = today the Government hands down the budget
“das A und O des Budgets ist die Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen”, sagte der Minister = “this budget is all about job creation”, the minister said
das Jahresbudget wird auf 20 Milliarden Euro festgelegt = the yearly budget has been pegged at twenty billion euros
Bürger profitieren von guter Konjunktur = government economic gains trickle down to the masses
das Budget enthält erfreuliche Nachrichten für Rentner = government beefs up/upgrades program to boost income of retirees; government introduces a variety of measures designed to help pensioners
hohe Zinsen sind eine Belastung fürs Budget = high interest repayments are a drain on the budget
Budget war nicht der große Wurf = the budget is not the expected game changer/big bang/quantum leap ahead; budget was not a groundbreaking economic package
Budget lässt viel zu wünschen übrig = budget fell short of/was not consistent with expectations/was silent on/failed to address many issues; the federal budget failed to address the inequality that was turbocharged/exacerbated as a result of the pandemic
die unerwartete Erhöhung der Steuereinnahmen könnte zur Reduzierung des Budgetdefizits verwendet werden = the unexpected surge in government revenue/proceeds could be applied to repair the nation’s budget deficit
in Deutschland ist die Schuldenbremse im Grundgesetz verankert; aber das Finanzministerium kann sie bei Bedarf aussetzen; d.h. von den festgelegten Grenzen für die Verschuldung wird abgewichen = in Germany borrowings by the State are subject to a ceiling/cap/limit, i.e. they remain frozen for a given time; however if called for the Ministry of Finance may decide to put the borrowing cap/ceiling/limit on hold, thus creating a budget deficit
um die Finanzkrise zu meistern, hat der Kanzler sie zur Chefsache erklärt, dabei spielten die übrigen Minister nur eine Nebenrolle = resolving the financial crisis has became the prime minister’s personal mission, other cabinet ministers only had cameo roles
Wie sieht's aus mit den nächsten Maßnahmen der Krisenbewältigung? = How are the latest twists in the crisis unfolding? Has the crisis been defused?
Regierung scheint im Chaos zu versinken/schlingert in die nächste Krise = chaos/havoc/snafu/shambles engulfs government; “chaos reigns supreme”, read (past tense) one of the headlines in today’s press; in the last two years too many issues have dogged the government neuer PM stürzt Land ins Chaos; neuer Präsident stiftet Chaos weltweit = new PM throws country into chaos; new president roots for chaos/unleashes chaos on the world; country teeters toward/devolves into chaos/collapse
für den Staat scheint eine Krise die Nächste zu jagen = the government seems to be lurching/reeling from one crisis to the next/crisis to crisis
manche Politiker können sich in chaotischen Situationen gut behaupten = when things go tough he/she shines brightest; some politicians thrive on/revel in chaos
endlich begreift die Regierung, wie ernst die Lage ist = the government has finally grasped the magnitude of the moment/realized that the situation is resting on a knife-edge; government faces reality check; the seriousness of the crisis is beginning to dawn on the government
Regierung versucht, dem Chaos Herr zu werden = government attempts to cut through chaos
das Land braucht eine Regierung, die Sachen mutig anpackt/die den Hebel gezielt ansetzt = the country needs a government that has the courage to act; a few big issue items are still languishing on the government’s wishlist as so far no one had/has the courage to address them; every government needs a few daredevil politicians who are willing to tackle/deal with/get to grips with/take on/face down hot issues
politische Verwerfungen setzen Land zu = our nation has been mired in/impacted by acute political turmoil/upheaval/convulsion/ disruption(s)/disparities
zögernde Regierung kippt/speckt stets neue Energienutzungsvorschläge ab = reluctant government keeps killing off/watering down new energy policies
Regierung ruft Bürger zum Energiesparen auf = government tells/urges residents/citizens to minimize non-urgent heating usage
Regierung verspricht, umfangreiche Reformen durchzuführen = government promises/pledges to make/conduct sweeping changes across the board
politische Parteien sollten parteiübergreifende/bilaterale Vereinbarungen aushandeln, um bestimmte Probleme zu lösen = political parties should negotiate bi-partisan deals in order to solve/remedy certain issues/problems; too many policy issues are mired by partisan division
wie z. B. der sozialer Wohnungsmangel, der unbedingt eine parteiübergreifende Lösung braucht = a good example is the public housing shortfall, which definitely calls for a bipartisan solution
es gibt zu viel Bürokratie in der Regierung = bloated bureaucracy is a burden on efficient government; Government Office is mired in red tape/burocracy; bloated government/public service agencies have become the norm as they usually have to negotiate labyrinthine bureaucracy/paperwork; a makeover of the executive bureaucracy is long-overdue
zu viel Staatsbürokratie erhöht die Verwaltungskosten = too much federal red tape pushes up/ramps up administration costs
Minister nimmt Behörden in die Pflicht = the minister’s reprimand sent authorities into a scramble; the burocrats had to scramble/were in there pitching to get the job done; minister tells public authorities to get their act together/to lift their game
die Behörden sind manchmal zu behäbig/umständlich = government authorities sometimes approach/treat certain matters with too much heavy-handedness; some matters are approached with half-baked/half-hearted concepts
Vater Staat kümmert sich um alles = Nanny State/Big Brother looks after everything
Sommerpause für den Bundestag = Parliament rises to its summer break/season recess
der Bundestagspräsident leitet die Plenarsitzungen und sorgt für parlamentarische Ordnung = the Speaker of the Lower House/ Parliament/Congress (AUS, UK, US respectively) presides over/chairs the debates/maintains order and makes sure rules are followed during the discussions
plötzlich zurückgetretener Minister hinterlässt eine große Lücke, politische Weggefährten bedanken sich herzlich = shock/out of nowhere resignation/exit of popular minister leaves/creates political vacuum; party lauds/owes debt of gratitude to (name of minister) Politprominenz erscheint zahlreich, um den scheidenden Präsident/Kanzler zu feiern = a political cameo-filled roll call was on hand to pay tribute to/honor/cheer the outgoing president/prime-minister
geschäftsführender Kanzler/Interimsbundesratspräsident übernimmt Amt = an acting/interim/caretaker Prime Minister/a temporary president of the Senate (US) has been put in place/appointed to perform government duties
es gibt noch keinen sicheren Nachfolger nach Ausscheiden von langjährigen/r Kanzler/in = with the retirement of the long-serving Prime Minister apparently no politician is in the driver’s seat to get the job
manchmal muss Politiker/Minister über seinen Schatten springen = politician sometimes must eat humble pie/crow and admit his/her shortcomings/mistakes; finance minister bites the bullet/drinks the political hemlock (poisonous liquid) of unpopular budget costs; the defense minister needs to have the courage of his/her convictions to approve the weapons deal
Transportminister ist beim Thema Bußgelder plötzlich umgefallen = all of a sudden the Minister for Transport did a 180/did an about-face /flipped/ flicked (AUS) the switch on his approach to the new fines catalog
wendiger Abgeordneter/MdB ändert schnell seine Position/Meinung = MP/Rep. first played both sides of the fence and then dismissed/ laughed it off as a fringe issue/matter; Congressman walks back his initial plans; MP has an uncanny ability to roll with the punches
der Minister/die Regierung fällt um/rückt ab von seiner/ihrer Position = Minister cops out/flips his position on immigration; government winds back on the issue
Minister hat den Karren vor das Pferd gespannt = although his pet project still has to be approved by the parliament the minister put the cart before the horse when he started spending huge sums of money on it
der Bürgermeister präsentiert seinen neuen Plan für den öffentlichen Verkehr der Stadt = the Mayor is making a pitch for the city’s new public transport system
als Krisenmanager ist der Innenminister ein wenig überfordert = the Home Affairs Minister overreaches himself as a poor crisis manager
noch hält Kanzler dem umstrittenen Transportminister die Stange = the PM got the embattled Transport Minister off the hook when he put in a good word for him; PM is still giving the beleaguered/battered minister some slack
“Oppositionsminister” vertreten eine andere Sicht als ihre Kollegen von der Regierungspartei = shadow ministers (of major opposition party) usually have different views from/to their incumbent counterparts
Opposition hinterfragt Gründe des Aussteigens aus dem Pipeline-Abkommen = opposition calls to probe/launch an inquiry into the cancellation of pipeline contract/deal
der Kanzler hat den Verkehrsminister in der Öffentlichkeit vorgeknöpft/zur Rede gestellt/in den Senkel gestellt = the Prime Minister gave the Transport Minister a dressing-down; he actually called out/berated/told off/reprimanded the Minister for Transport in public
infolge der Krise setzt Kanzler den Gesundheitsminister ab = PM dumps/ditches Health Minister in a move to tackle/take on crisis
der Vize-Kanzler übt Kritik an der Opposition = Deputy PM slams/blasts/fires a broadside at the opposition
Bundeskanzler/Präsident stellt Minister zur Rede = Prime Minister/president calls out/reins in minister’s selfish move/decision; health minister has his wings clipped by Prime Minister
in den Oppositionsreihen wächst die Unruhe = disquiet in the opposition ranks is growing
Regierungspartei strebt an, die Opposition zu spalten = government party tries to drive/craft a wedge (i.e. divide) the opposition party/ies
sie sind zwar politische Gegner, aber gleichzeitig auch enge Freunde = the opposition leader is still close friends with the health minister, who was his former college classmate
zwei Minister, die sich nicht grün sind = there is no love lost between these two ministers; they have a lot of personal grievances between them
umtriebiger Minister hat drei wichtige Ämter = minister has three tough portfolios, i.e. a “triple-decker sandwich”
amtierender Kanzler bildet Kabinett um = incumbent PM lays down the law/swings the broom in a bid to reshape/reshuffle the cabinet/ the frontbench
eine Krise, die nicht angemessen bewältigt wird, kann zum Sturz der Regierung führen = poor management/improper handling of affairs in a crisis can lead to the government’s downfall/demise
während der Buschfeuerkrise war das Vorgehen des Prime Ministers (AUS) nicht ganz auf der Höhe = PM’s actions/conduct during the Australian bushfire crisis jar with what we’ve come to expect from our politicians in moments of peril/jeopardy; the PM should have taken a different course of action/walked down a different path
gemäß vorherigen Äußerungen stößt die Entscheidung des Präsidenten/des Kanzlers auf Unverständnis = the president’s decision is totally at odds with his past statements/stance
der Beschluss des Bundeskanzlers kommt bei der Bevölkerung nicht gut an = the prime minister’s decision doesn’t wash/resonate with the general public
aufgrund des Engpasses auf dem Arbeitsmarkt droht vielen Arbeitssuchenden Arbeitslosigkeit = due to a squeeze in the labor market a lot of jobseekers are facing unemployment
Regierung geht hohe Arbeitslosigkeit massiv an = the government has decided to tackle/take on/face down the high unemployment issue/ problem head-on
das Arbeitslosengeld wird beantragt = unemployed persons/job seekers apply for/claim/collect unemployment benefits
so werden Arbeitslose in AUS (auch UK) genannt = in AUS (UK too) unemployed persons are said to be “on the dole” (“dole” also means the unemployment benefit they collect)
Regierung vertuscht Arbeitslosenzahlen = government stats are unreliable as current unemployment figures mask signs of weakness
Regierung manipuliert Inflationsindex = government cherry-picks/rigs data to create the official inflation rate they want
im Rahmen einer Amnestie kündigt Regierung wesentlich niedrigere Strafen für Steuerhinterzieher an = government announces amnesty for tax-dodgers/evaders as penalties are heavily reduced
es läuft nicht rund mit dem Generationenvertrag = lack of government’s fairness/ involvement in some relevant issues stokes/fuels intergenerational concerns; future generations will pay the bill for today's political decisions/miscues/flaws/mistakes
Zickzackkurs/viel Hin und Her in der Koalition beim Thema Flüchtlinge = there has been a lot of toing and froing/hemming and hawing/ too much yo-yoing between the two major parties over the refugees issue; Government has so far failed to effectively stem/contain/cap migration
Koalitionsregierung droht zu zerbrechen am Asylstreit = the coalition governemnt is on the verge of collapsing over the asylum policies dispute
Bundeskanzler mahnt Koalitionspartner, nicht eigenständig zu handeln = the prime minister urged/pleaded with/called on/exhorted his junior coalition partners not to focus single-handedly on issues that were not mutually agreed upon
Regierungspartei beschwört Zusammenhalt und fordert Koalitionspartner auf, Parteilichkeit zu vermeiden = ruling party touts/talks up/shows/extols/hails/trumpets/ shouts/heralds unity and calls for junior party to put partisanship aside
Regierung will das Thema Migration/Flüchtlinge etwas ruhiger angehen = the government plans to tone down its wording/its “freak show” rhetoric on the immigration front/refugee issues
bei manchen Themen fährt Regierung/Politiker auf Sicht = government exercises/proceeds with utmost caution, dodging any risk when dealing with certain issues; on some pressing issues/problems government just appears to be going through the motions; some politicians just try to roll with the punches; government treads carefully on certain issues
manche Politiker gehen ungerne Risiken ein = some politicians are too risk-averse
wie unser Land die schwere Flüchtlingskrise gemeistert hat, kann als Blaupause für andere Nationen dienen = our country was the first one to deal wth a major refugee crisis, so it prefigures what will/may happen in other nations in a similar situation; that was a preview which could be served as a road map/a model for future action
Bund/Regierung führt Gesundheitsumfrage durch = the government launches a consultation over health issues
Wie schneidet die Regierung in der Corona Krise ab? = How is the government tracking against the corona strategy targets?
Regierung ernennt neuen Beauftragten für Sicherheitsangelegenheiten/UNESCO/Zivilluftfahrt = government nominates new commissioner/official/czar for security affairs/special representative to the UNESCO/national officer for civil aviation
man kritisiert, dass manche Ministerien sich zu sehr auf unnötige Beraterdienste verlassen = certain ministries’ undue reliance on consultants is slammed
viele erfahrene Umweltexperten sitzen im Ausschuss für Nachhaltige Entwicklung = many seasoned/experienced environmental experts sit on the Commission for Sustained Development
Regierung scheint die Linie verloren zu haben = the government seems to be losing the plot/thread in its search for economical solutions
Regierung steht massiv in der Kritik, weil sie nichts unternimmt/tut = government is blindsided/slammed/blasted by the press for its ineptitude to act on many issues/for having a dalliance with indolence (i.e. for not acting); government keeps dropping the ball on the freeway speed limit issue; meanwhile voter patience is wearing thin
Regierung betreibt Schlafwagenpolitik bzw. hat Vorstöße verschlafen/nicht zügig genug vorangetrieben = the government has slow-walked/has been dragging its feet/the chain on many initiatives; politics has been beset by too much gridlock in the past years; government reforms are stuck in the slow lane; the current government seems to be procrastinating with many bold reforms; government hits the snooze button/holds the line on yet another important initiative
Regierung will Reform der angeschlagenen Energiebranche durchboxen = government looks to enact/greenlight “big stick” legislation aimed at fixing the broken energy sector; government is intent on railroading reforms in the embattled energy sector
das Tempo bei den Reformen lässt nach = it’s a bumpy/pot-holed road to reform for the government =
Regierung/Parteien haben viele Themen verschleppt/verschlafen, die für junge Wähler relevant sind = established political parties are not up to scratch/up to snuff/up to par with the needs of younger generation; party is out of step/synch with young voters on key topics such as climate control, renewables and digitization/digitalization; party failed to keep pace with/understand young voters
beim Thema Tempolimit tut sich nichts = government stands pat on the speed limit issue
Regierungspartei hat viele Reformen verschlafen/verpennt = the incumbent Government blew it on reforms; party ideology is not moving with the times/is stuck in a time warp; party is dragging its feet/heels on major reforms; government is lagging behind/has been asleep at the wheel /switch/is behind the curve on pressing/vexing issues like vaccination and taxation; two years have elapsed and the government is still sleeping on the minimum wage issue; opposition has challenged the Prime Minister to act on health issues; while most Western countries were sleeping, China took a great leap forward in high-tech manufacturing of everything
Regierung schaut weg/bleibt untätig = government is missing in action/AWOL (absent without leave)/is conspicuously absent/is lagging/ stands pat when it comes to dealing with the financial/refugee crisis; finance ministry/treasure castigated for inaction on black/shadow economy problem
Fehler/Versäumnisse des Premierministers, wie z.B. langsame Reaktionen und unzureichende/inkompetente Antworten spielen dem Oppositionsführer in die Karten = screw-ups/errors by Prime Minister, such as slow reactions and inadequate/incompetent responses enable opposition leader
Ministerpräsident ist abgetaucht/hat sich unsichtbar gemacht = governor/premier does/performs a vanishing/disappearing act/move; Where was Nowhere Jim (fictitious name of premier, AUS) when the riots broke out?; minister/politician face is notably absent from campaign events; politician seems to have vanished/disappeared from public view
kurz vor dem Ende seiner Amtszeit wird Politiker/in als Schlaftablette/Transuse bezeichnet
= politician acts like a lame duck/figurehead/ dead man walking long before his/her term expires
