AUSEINANDERSETZUNGEN & DEBATTEN
bei Grundsatzrede betont Finanzminister nochmal, dass die Steuern nicht erhöht werden
= in his keynote address the finance minister underlined his pledge not to raise taxes
Parteien beziehen Positionen bei Flüchtlingspolitik = battle lines are drawn on the refugees issue
die Regierung steht in der Flüchtlingsdebatte vor einer schwierigen Aufgabe = the government faces an uphill battle/task on the refugees issue
Politiker verteilen Seitenhiebe und schießen quer = the politician fired/launched a withering/severe broadside/dig at the newspaper reporter; the Speaker of the House lashed into the opposition party with a long tirade; the party leader directed/unleashed a cheap shot at his critics; the independent MP/House rep. erupted in a tirade against the ruling party; the two congressmen were sniping at each other/ exchanging verbal jabs; the minister and some members of the opposing parties engaged in a verbal spat/jousting; the City Councilman took a swipe at the incumbent mayor’s ineptitude; his thinly veiled barb was aimed at his detractors; the embattled politician fired off plenty of one-liners; the immigration minister unloaded a tirade/diatribe against racial comments; yesterday there was a testy exchange/ heated argument/bust-in over refugee policy in the Parliament; it was a nasty immigration debate that fuelled some bitter question time exchanges
beide Parteivorsitzende versuchen, sich gegenseitig wegen der falschen Strategie/Vorgehensweise in der Flüchtlingskrise den schwarzen Peter zuzuschieben = both party leaders try to gaslight each other over the wrong strategy/approach during the refugee crisis
im Bundestag findet eine Schlammschlacht statt = the opposition initiated/launched a smear/slander campaign; in parliament insults fly every now and then
der Minister legt eine Schippe drauf = the minister is doubling down/upping the ante on the health care issue
der Durchbruch wird erzielt = the minister managed to break the logjam over the vexed issue
Regierung ist bemüht, die Angelegenheit zu verharmlosen/abzufedern = the administration (US for government) downplayed/played down/tamped down the seriousness of the issue/crisis; the state government has been trying to sugarcoat/whitewash/hush up/gloss over/masquerade the facts/ report in order to make the crisis fallout/impact more palatable
Politiker versucht/probiert, vom wahren Problem abzulenken = the pollie (AUS, short for politician) kept trying to paper over/mask/ detract/deflect from the real problem
Politiker wehrt sich gegen heftige Kritik = politician battles storm
im Parlament wird über ein Reizthema/ein heikles Thema beraten = the conversations have become a political hot potato; there are a few touch and go/high-stakes topics being presently debated in Congress; sparks usually fly/heated arguments ensue when issues such as refugee rules/transport policies are tackled/focused on in Parliament
die Beratungen finden unter Ausschluss der Öffentlichkeit statt = it’s closed-door for the round of talks/conference; the public is shut out /frozen out
Themen, die auf den Nägeln brennen, werden beraten = a few hot-button/hot-potato issues are being heavily discussed; all political parties represented in the Parliament are constantly sparing over the refugee issue
wir befinden uns noch nicht auf der Zielgeraden = the finishing line is not yet in sight
Übrigens, auf welches Thema spielen Sie an? = By the way, what issue are you referring to?
dieses Thema/diese Idee müssen wir noch beackern = we still need to kick around/spitball this issue/idea for a while
beide Parteien führen Gespräche über die Sicherheitslage = both the government and the opposition are locked in talks/conversations over the security issue
man sollte klare Kante zeigen = don’t hesitate/be reluctant to stand up and be counted; MP’s sometimes are upfront and honest about political processes; yesterday the government laid it on the line when asked how it will combat corruption; in politics you have to stare down your foes/opponents; the opposition leader showed some backbone/much-needed leadership; we should make a stand against higher taxes; always show great resolve/be more assertive when dealing with key issues; never be afraid of standing up to your values; during debates some politicians always strive to be on the front foot
er/sie redet Tacheles/schenkt reinen Wein ein = „straight talking, no sugar coating”, he/she said; he/she is a straight talker and does not mince/spare his/her words; he/she is upfront about his/her convictions; he/she doesn’t screw around on the issue
man soll sich einbringen/einsetzen = in order to clear the political mess the party needs somebody to step up now; it's time to get in on the act; we’re going to make/build a case for this idea/project; we should get/stay woke against social injustice; more people should make a stand against racism; if you are dead set on eradicating poverty/corruption in this city you have to stand up and be counted/weigh in with your active participation; you have to be ready to pitch in; the independent party is making a pitch for better schools and roads; I’m making a pitch for you to join our political party; our party/organization wants you/people to sign up for its political values and moral principles
Regierungsmitglieder und führende Unternehmer beraten über Steuerpolitik = state ministers and industry/business community leaders hold talks/a round of consultations/conversations/deliberations over tax policy; minister huddles with financial advisers/his aides on foreign investment policy
bei vielen Themen zieht sich der Streit/das Tauziehen/die Auseinandersetzung hin = the standoff/political gridlock in the coalition over immigration issues drags on; all political parties are at loggerheads over the climate change issue; the government is on a collision course with the opposition; both major parties are sparring/butting heads over investment needs; the minister is not backing down in his standoff with the opposition
die Verhandlungen waren auf Augenhöhe = both parties stared each other down/acted as equals when they began negotiating; they went head-to-head/interacted well with each other over the immigration issue; both negotiating parties were on the same page/in the same league/are giving each other a run for their money; both parties were in the same breath/saw eye to eye/spoke eyeball to eyeball when negotiations took place
Reaktion auf Vorschlag war halbherzig = the proposal got/received a lukewarm reception; some politicians balked at the latest initiative Oppositionspartei/Konzern stellt sich erwartungsgemäß quer/schlägt Vorstoß ab = as expected the opposition balked (baulked) at the proposal of a tax hike; the decision prompts rebuke; Congress balked at putting up the money; corporation balks at/rejects calls from government to reinvest huge profits in modern infrastructure; the opposition is dead set against the move/proposal
Debatte um Einwanderungspolitik eskaliert im Bundestag = battle/fight/debate over immigration policy heats up/rages/steps up in Parliament; the government has struck an increasingly harsh tone on immigration
die Flüchtlingsdebatte überlagert unsere wahren politischen Probleme = the refugee issue papers over/masks/belies/skews our real political problems
in der gestrigen Bundestagssitzung ging es in erster Linie um die Umwelt = the environmental dispute/stand-off took/occupied center stage in yesterday’s Parliament session to the detriment of other important topics
bei manchen wichtigen Themen stockt der Fortschritt = the minister is dragging his feet on social security themes; political gridlock sets in as parties are unable to make progress on/inroads into some major/key issues; the process/neglect has been a slow burn; little discernible progress has been achieved on the issue so far; government has to do more heavy lifting on housing
sensibles Reizthema soll nicht zum Politikum werden = this sensitive issue/case should not be politisized
Beiträge sollten in diese bedeutsame Debatte einfließen = suggestions from independent experts should enter the debate/weigh in on this thorny/delicate issue
das war das Ergebnis einer Abstimmung im Senat (Bundesrat) = the Senate voted 36 to 30 in favor of a motion calling for the resignation of the deputy prime minister
es wird weiter gefeilscht/verhandelt = both coalition partners continue to bargain over development aid for poor countries; cabinet ministers are still negotiating/haggling over the make-up of the new government
die Unterredungen/Verhandlungen werden abgebrochen bzw. man hat eine Pattsituation erreicht = negotiations/deliberations were cut short/aborted; it was decided to put/slam /pump the brakes on the talks; the negotiations are stuck in limbo
man kann es so oder so sehen = the issue is debatable/a moot question
eine spannende/hitzige/heftige Debatte wird losgetreten = a hot/key/vigorous debate is raging/brewing/swirling/has flared up around the equal rights issue; yesterday the political rhetoric/phraseology became heated; both major parties accuse each other of moving the goalposts on this high-stakes issue; the two major party leaders are scheduled to face off on TV this evening in what promises to be a lively debate Parteivorsitzender/Kandidat verzichtet auf zweite Debatte = party boss/candidate ditches a debate rematch
im Bundestag gibt es viel Streit um das Thema Menschenrechte = a political battle/fight is brewing in Parliament over human rights
Bund bleibt bei seiner Haltung in Sachen Einwanderung = government will not soften/sticks to its guns on immigration policies
die Debatte über Menschenrechte wird bald wieder aufgenommen = the debate over human rights will be reignited/rekindled soon
umstrittenes Thema wird von Agenda genommen/verworfen, sonst hätte es einen Rattenschwanz nach sich gezogen = the contentious/ controversial topic/issue was dropped from the political agenda because nobody wanted to pour gas (gasoline) on the fire/to open a Pandora’s box/a can of worms
wie immer, warten die Linken mit den gleichen Argumenten auf = as usual the left wing party is/are trotting out the usual outdated arguments
das große Kräftemessen über den Haushalt setzt sich fort = the major parties are still fighting it out (i.e. the terms of the budget)
die politische Gemengelage verschärft sich wieder = the political shake-up/disarray/upheaval/toxic partisanship/gridlock that have defined the nation’s recent politics is heating up again/is re-emerging with a vengeance
es herrscht Durcheinander nach der jüngsten Kabinettsumbildung = confusion reigns over the latest Cabinet shake-up
Parteichef nimmt letzte Anpassungen in seinem neuen Kabinett vor = party leader makes final adjustments to his cabinet in the shake up
Wer will schon bis 70 arbeiten? = major political parties hose down/pour cold water on the call from key policy advisers to lift the pension/ retirement age to 70
