News from Berlin
“Rave the Planet” to kick off on Aug 15 with a minute of silence
Three weeks after the suspected Islamist attack on the sidelines of Berlin’s Christopher Street Day (CSD) celebrations, the “Rave the Planet” techno parade is set to begin on August 15 with a minute of silence. The techno parade is scheduled to take place on the Straße des 17. Juni—running through the Tiergarten park between the Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column. Organizers expect around 300,000 participants for the parade. Dosch-Roeingh explained that the security plan was reviewed again in close coordination with the police. Source: rbb
And the 2026 Axel Springer Award goes to: Peter Thiel!
On September 24, 2026, Peter Thiel—Trump supporter, co-founder, and chairman of Palantir Technologies—will receive the 2026 Axel Springer Award in Berlin. Palantir’s deployment by German police forces has sparked protests in Germany, and the federal states themselves are divided on the issue. In Springer media outlets—specifically “Bild”—the tone is different: “It [Palantir] is the police’s most powerful software weapon against child molesters, terrorists, and organised crime. In mere seconds, it links telephone data, chat logs, financial flows, flight data, and surveillance footage—tasks that would take human investigators months to complete.” Source: lz
What you should know about postal voting in Berlin
In Berlin, many voters are once again expected to cast their ballots by mail rather than at a polling station. The proportion of postal voters has risen significantly over the past ten years, both nationwide and in Berlin. “I expect a share of around 45% this time,” State Returning Officer Stephan Bröchler told “rbb” in July. “Postal voting is becoming less of an exception and increasingly the norm.” Election notifications will be mailed out starting August 10; these notifications also make it easy to apply for a postal vote (more information available on service.berlin.de). Source: rbb
News from Germany
Quitting from the BSW in Saxony-Anhalt
“We are leaving the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) because we want to remain true to our political convictions,” states a resignation letter signed by the leaders of the BSW chapters in Halle-Saalekreis, Burgenlandkreis, and Mansfeld-Südharz, along with 18 other members, 4 weeks before the election in Saxony-Anhalt. The former BSW members criticise, among other things, a move toward the AfD—a party classified by authorities in Saxony-Anhalt as definitively right-wing extremist. According to recent polls, the BSW is currently polling at 4%. This means the party might fail to win a seat in the Magdeburg state parliament. Source: taz
Germany debates on reintroducing the mandatory civilian service
Germany’s constitution guarantees that no person can be forced into armed military service. Should the government reinstate mandatory conscription, a civilian-service alternative would have to be established for people who invoke their right to refuse military service. The country’s federal government has a plan for such situation: the Family Affairs Ministry, led by Karin Prien (CDU), has consulted 23 large associations and organisations to ask about the topic–with 22 positive answers. A possible return from the civil service was criticised by the opposition and by some major German welfare organisations. The Family Affairs Ministry plans to present its proposals after Germany’s summer recess. Source: dw
Germany: AfD extends its lead in nationwide polls
For the time being, there is still widespread agreement among all democratic parties in Germany: cooperating with the far-right AfD remains out of the question. However, whether this will remain the case is becoming increasingly uncertain. In the latest ARD-Deutschland trend survey conducted by the infratest-dimap, where 1,300 eligible voters were asked which party they would vote for if a federal election were held on August 9, 28% said they would vote for the AfD. In September, state elections will take place in two Eastern German states: Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In both states, the AfD leads in the polls. Source: dw
Center for the Drone arms race
There are still no findings from the investigation into the drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport, but the culprit has effectively been identified. For the past few days, US media outlets have been reporting that it was Russia. According to the “Wall Street Journal”, US government officials who had seen intelligence reports stated that the drone belonged to the Russian government. Conversely, the Russian embassy in Berlin spoke on August 7 via Telegram of “anti-Russian hysteria.” In Germany, preparations to counter drone attacks are proceeding apace and measures are being implemented. Among them, a new center for drone research, to be established on August 18 at the German Aerospace Center’s test airfield in Cochstedt, Saxony-Anhalt. Source: jungewelt
