Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz has been elected federal chancellor of Germany on his second attempt, tagesschau.de reported on Tuesday.
“In the second round of voting, the Bundestag elected Friedrich Merz as federal chancellor. The CDU leader received 325 votes. A majority of 316 votes was required. In the first round of voting, Merz received only 310 votes,” the report said.
As reported, CDU leader Friedrich Merz lost the first round of voting for the Bundestag chancellor election on Tuesday morning. In a secret ballot, he received 310 votes in favor, six fewer than the required majority of 316 votes. The CDU/CSU and SPD coalition parties together hold 328 seats in parliament.
This is an “unprecedented event” in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany. Never before has a designated chancellor failed to be elected by the Bundestag after federal elections and successful coalition negotiations.
The relocation of businesses during the war has opened up opportunities for Ukrainian businesses to renew themselves and enter new markets. This was stated by CCIP President Gennady Chyzhykov in an exclusive interview with the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
“We helped entrepreneurs relocate their production, advised them on regulatory conditions, and created channels for partnership. Support for SMEs, the most vulnerable sector, was particularly important,” he said.
Chizhikov added that in regions such as Volyn, programs have been implemented to integrate relocated businesses into the economy, including joint projects with the Czech Republic.
For more details, see the interview at https://interfax.com.ua/news/interview/1069297.html
Registrations of new commercial vehicles (trucks and special vehicles) in Ukraine in April 2025 decreased by 6% compared to the same month in 2024, to 982 units, according to UkrAvtoprom on its website.
Compared to March 2025, demand for such vehicles decreased by 1.4% (14 vehicles).
According to the report, MAN was the leader of the month with 128 vehicles registered (in April 2024, it was tenth in the ranking with 40 vehicles).
Citroen rose to second place with 118 units (last year it had 41 cars and was in ninth place), and last year’s leader Renault came in third with a nearly 2.3-fold decrease in registrations to 113 units.
The top five also included Peugeot with 78 units (74 units in April 2024) and Ford with 75 units (51 units).
“Since the beginning of the year, 3,820 new vehicles have been added to the Ukrainian fleet of trucks and special-purpose vehicles, which is 2% less than in the same period last year,” UkrAvtoprom reports.
As reported, in April 2024, the market for new commercial vehicles grew by 12.7% compared to April 2023, to 1,049 units, and in January-April, the market grew by 24%, to 3,193 thousand units.
According to UkrAvtoprom, 12,900 new commercial vehicles were registered in Ukraine in 2024, which is 14% more than a year earlier.
Ukrainian companies are maintaining their export activity despite military action and internal restrictions. As Gennady Chizhikov said in an exclusive interview with the news agency Interfax-Ukraine, at the end of 2024, exports amounted to 129.2 million tons of goods worth $41 billion.
“Even in wartime, Ukrainian businesses continue to export. This confirms not only their resilience but also their ability to adapt to new global realities,” Chyzhykov said.
According to him, the CCI actively supports businesses in matters of certification, technical regulation, and digitalization of export processes.
For more details, see the interview at https://interfax.com.ua/news/interview/1069297.html
Nova Poshta, the leader in express delivery in Ukraine, has launched the first of seven gas-fired cogeneration gas piston units planned for installation by 2025.
“A new stage in the implementation of the energy independence program has begun: the first gas piston cogeneration unit with an electrical capacity of 1 MW has started operating at the company’s hub (Nova Poshta – IF-U) in western Ukraine. Six more CCGs are currently being installed and are expected to be commissioned this year, including in Kyiv,” Nova Poshta’s press service reported on Tuesday on Telegram.
The company’s CHP units will generate electricity and heat from natural gas.
According to the report, Nova Poshta has invested a total of UAH 300 million in energy independence and plans to invest another UAH 150 million in 2025. More than half of the total investment of UAH 450 million will go toward gas generation.
Earlier it was reported that Nova Poshta’s energy company (NOVA group) – Nova Energy – became an electricity trader after receiving a license from the NEURC.
Nova Poshta founded the energy company Nova Energy in April 2023 to develop regular electricity generation and ensure the autonomy of the company’s facilities in connection with Russia’s attacks on the energy system. Since August, the company has been engaged in small-scale wholesale sales of diesel fuel on the open market.
Co-owner of Nova Poshta Volodymyr Poperechnyuk announced plans to install industrial uninterruptible power supply systems and energy storage equipment to increase the efficiency of energy capacities.
He also stated that after the end of the war and the improvement of the energy supply situation, Nova Energy will be sold as a non-core business.
It was reported that Nova Poshta had installed a second solar power plant (SPP) at its terminal in Kyiv and plans to increase its capacity to 1.4 MW. Nova Poshta’s first 1 MW SPP was commissioned in January at the Kyiv Innovation Terminal, located on its roof.
The Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UCCI) has stepped up its work in foreign markets, expanding its network of business contacts and focusing on countries in the Global South. This was stated by UCCI President Gennady Chizhikov in an exclusive interview with the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
“We are actively working with the Czech Republic, France, and the Baltic countries, but at the same time we are opening new markets in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. For example, Kenya and Egypt are key buyers of Ukrainian grain. We are helping companies enter these markets with agricultural technologies, equipment, and processed products,” Chyzhykov said.
He added that the chamber will continue to organize international business missions and participate in global forums.
For more details, see the interview at https://interfax.com.ua/news/interview/1069297.html
