- S.Africa top court to rule on Zuma election ban Monday
- Horner hails 'great' Italian job by Verstappen to resist Norris
- Biden reaches out to Gaza protesters in speech at rights icon's college
- Deadly strikes hit Gaza as US envoy visits Israel
- Ship that destroyed Baltimore bridge set to move Monday
- Pogacar soars to landmark Giro win on snow-capped peak
- Klopp receives emotional farewell tribute from Liverpool fans
- Slovak PM's life no longer in danger after shooting
- Scheffler well back at PGA as officials say no bodycam video of arrest
- Strikes kills 11 in Ukraine region under Russian offensive
- Argentina's Milei stars in global far-right rally in Spain
- Verstappen resists Norris attack to claim dramatic victory at Imola
- Raducanu pulls out of French Open qualifying to train on grass
- Verstappen holds off Norris to clinch Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
- Hollywood icons Costner and Demi Moore in Cannes comeback
- Iran presidential helicopter in 'accident', search underway: state media
- Breaking men-only musical lore, Jobarteh puts African kora on wider stage
- Usyk heavyweight glory hailed as 'Ukrainian victory'
- Cannes narco musical star says being trans should be 'unimportant'
- Shelling kills ten in Ukraine region under Russian offensive
- DR Congo thwarts Kinshasa 'coup attempt' : army
- Injured Sinner back on road to French Open
- Dominican Republic votes for president in poll overshadowed by Haiti crisis
- France says will quell New Caledonia riots 'whatever the cost'
- 'Blood everywhere': Survivor recounts attack on tourists in Afghanistan
- Deadly bombs hit Gaza as US security envoy visits Israel
- World javelin champion Kitaguchi lays down marker in Tokyo
- Hundreds protest Taiwan's ruling party on eve of inauguration
- French forces smash roadblocks in bid to clear key New Caledonia road
- Russian exiles in Georgia inspired by protests but scared
- Taiwan's next president goes shrimp fishing with foreign guests
- Can Costner lead the revenge of France's much-mocked Kevins?
- Dramas elevate Iran cinema but it's comedy that sells
- Fury unsure on rematch after Usyk inflicts his first defeat
- Taiwan coast guard ramps up island patrols ahead of inauguration
- 'Maldives what?': Saudi fashionistas attempt beach rebrand
- Dallas rally to down Thunder, reach NBA Western Conference finals
- The French 'Erin Brockovich' vs Goodyear
- History-chasing Man City eye Premier League title 'destiny'
- Body of second missing Mongolian climber found on Everest
- Campana's late stunner gives Miami victory over D.C.
- Iraq father begins legal action against BP over son's cancer death
- Dominican Republic's vote is dominated by Haiti crisis
- Blue Origin flies thrill seekers to space after two year hiatus
- Biles launches Olympic year with impressive Core Hydration Classic win
- Usyk in tears for late father after historic heavyweight win
- Can we rid artificial intelligence of bias?
- Forgotten D-Day cameramen out of shadows, 80 years on
- Hollywood battles aging -- in film reels
- 'Blood in the water' for record low scores in PGA final round
Major German companies warn against vote for extremism
Germany's biggest companies said Tuesday they have formed an alliance to campaign against extremism ahead of key EU Parliament elections, when the far right is projected to make strong gains.
The alliance of 30 companies includes blue-chip groups like BMW, BASF and Deutsche Bank, a well as family-owned businesses and start-ups.
"Exclusion, extremism and populism pose threats to Germany as a business location and to our prosperity," said the alliance in a statement.
"In their first joint campaign, the companies are calling on their combined 1.7 million employees to take part in the upcoming European elections and engaging in numerous activities to highlight the importance of European unity for prosperity, growth and jobs," it added.
The unusual action by the industrial giants came as latest opinion polls show the far-right AfD obtaining about 15 percent of the EU vote next month in Germany, tied in second place with the Greens after the conservative CDU-CSU alliance.
A series of recent scandals, including the arrest of a researcher working for an AfD MEP, have sent the party's popularity sliding since the turn of the year, even though it remains just ahead of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats.
Already struggling with severe shortages in skilled workers, many German enterprises fear gains by the far right could further erode the attractiveness of Europe's biggest economy to migrant labour.
The alliance estimates that fast-ageing Germany currently already has 1.73 million unfilled positions, while an additional 200,000 to 400,000 workers would be necessary annually in coming years.
Wolf-Dieter Adlhoch, chief executive of the Dussmann Group, noted that 68,000 people from over 100 nations work in the family business.
"For many of them, their work with us, for example in cleaning buildings or geriatric care, is their entry into the primary labour market and therefore the key to successful integration. Hate and exclusion have no place here," he said.
Siemens Energy chief executive Christian Bruch warned that "isolationism, extremism, and xenophobia are poison for German exports and jobs here in Germany –- we must therefore not give space to the fearmongers and fall for their supposedly simple solutions".
The alliance said it is planning a social media campaign to underline the call against extremism and urged other companies to join its initiative.
It added that the campaign will continue after the EU elections, with three eastern German states to vote for regional parliaments in September.
In all three -- Brandenburg, Thuringia and Saxony -- the far-right AfD party is leading surveys.
F.Müller--BTB