NEWS FROM BERLIN
Association calls for the AfD to be excluded from Holocaust commemorations
The Berlin Association of Persecutees of the Nazi Regime – League of Anti-Fascists (VVN -BdA) is calling on politicians to exclude the AfD from the Holocaust commemorations on 27 January. This day marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz extermination camp. The AfD is using its participation in commemorative events to present itself as a supposedly normal democratic party, the association explained. At the same time, as an extreme right-wing party, it is conducting a fundamental attack on the culture of remembrance in Germany. The Association is also calling for 8 May to be declared a public holiday: “This is long overdue.” Source: juedische allgemeine
Deutsche Bahn announces replacement services and diversions on the Berlin-Hamburg route
The railway line between Berlin and Hamburg will be renovated from August this year until April 2026. During the refurbishment, DB plans to deploy more than 170 buses to cushion the impact of the line closure. Long-distance trains will then be rerouted via Stendal, Salzwedel and Uelzen. For passengers, this will mean a 45-minute longer journey time. In local transport, some regional lines will be rerouted. 180 kilometres of track and 28 stations along the route will be renovated. Source: rbb
NEWS FROM GERMANY
It’s going to be tight
The deadlines for postal voting are so short that Germans abroad may not be able to cast their vote. Because of the early election, everything must happen quickly, and postal voting is the only way for Germans abroad to cast their vote. But they must first register on the electoral roll and can only apply for postal voting on the Federal Returning Officer’s website until 2 February. In order to be counted, all documents must be in the ballot boxes of the relevant constituencies by 6 pm on the day of the Bundestag election, 23 February. Source: taz
AfD adopts election manifesto: for remigration and against Islamisation
The AfD has adopted key points of its programme for the federal elections. The focus is on a stricter migration policy under the term “remigration,” withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, and the reintroduction of a national currency. The party is also calling for the Nord Stream pipelines to be repaired, an easing of sanctions against Russia, and the reactivation of compulsory military service. Issues such as maintaining the debt brake, abandoning compulsory vaccination, and stricter regulations for social benefits underline the party’s programme, and the election manifesto also devotes a great deal of space to the topics of Islam and integration. Source: islamiq
Bremen youth centre: 3 men on trial for arson attack
A fire was set at the Friese youth centre in the Bremen district during a concert in 2020, when more than 30 people were in the building. All three defendants have links to the far-right scene. According to the indictment, three of the victims suffered smoke inhalation and other injuries. The property damage is estimated at around 180,000 euros. The secondary prosecution accuses the investigating authorities of not having investigated with sufficient vigour – for instance, investigators only searched the defendants’ flats a year and a half later. Source: buten un binnen
AfD investigated for distributing “deportation tickets” for migrants
German police are investigating a local branch of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party after people from migrant communities in Karlsruhe found AfD-branded “deportation tickets” in their letterboxes. An article in the local newspaper Badische Neueste Nachrichten pointed out that the ticket campaign resembles a similar action by the neo-Nazi NPD in 2013, during which the NPD’s branch in Berlin distributed “journey home tickets” to discourage candidates with migrant backgrounds from standing in the election. Marc Bernhard (AfD) declared for the German public broadcaster SWR that such “deportation tickets” had also been given out at election stands and at the party’s conference in Saxony on January 11 and 12. Source: iamexpat
Record year for German wind energy despite AfD criticism
According to the German industry’s latest figures, the most important source of electricity generation in the country received a major boost in 2024. The regulatory authorities approved more than 2,400 new onshore wind turbines with a total capacity of around 14 gigawatts: a record figure, according to a new report by the German Wind Energy Association and VDMA Power Systems, the association for power plant technology. However, despite the positive figures, the AfD rejects German energy policy and wind energy in particular a central part of its election campaign. Alice Weidel (AfD) considers renewable energies to be “fluttering electricity” and wants nuclear power instead. Source: dw
