News from Berlin

Berlin’s lead candidate for the Left Party distances itself from the Zionism Resolution

Elif Eralp, the Left Party’s lead candidate in Berlin, has sharply rejected the controversial Zionism resolution passed by her party’s Lower Saxony state branch. She specifically criticized the resolution for failing to mention the attack by the Islamist group Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023. Furthermore, she argued that the document ignores what the term “Zionism” means to many Jewish people worldwide: the right to live in safety as Jews. Andreas Büttner, Brandenburg’s Commissioner for Antisemitism, resigned from the Left Party a few days ago, citing the Lower Saxony resolution as one of the reasons. The document is also facing strong opposition outside the party. Source: berliner Zeitung

Two Berlin bookstores receive German Bookstore Prize

Wolfram Weimer, Minister of State for Culture (independent), announced the winners of the German Booksellers’ Prize. The title “Best Bookstore” was awarded, among others, to the Berlin bookstore “Prinz Eisenherz,” founded in 1978 as Germany’s first gay bookstore. The InterKontinental bookstore was the second Berlin bookstore to be honored. It won the prize for “Particularly Outstanding Bookstore.” It is affiliated with a publishing house specializing in African and Afro-diasporic literature. The awarding of the bookstore prizes has been criticized nationwide for several days because Minister Weimer removed three German (one of them Berliner) bookstores from the list of winners. He justified this with “findings relevant to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.” Source: rbb

Thousands demonstrate in Berlin against sexualized digital violence

Several thousand people protested in Berlin on March 22 against sexualized digital violence. According to police, around 6,700 people gathered at the Brandenburg Gate for the demonstration “Against sexualized digital violence – Solidarity with all victims.” Organizers claimed 13,000 people attended. The protest was initiated by the newly founded alliance “Feminist Fight Club!”, which criticizes “structural deficiencies and legal loopholes in the context of digital and analog sexualized violence in Germany.” The rally was held in solidarity with the presenter and actress Collien Fernandes. On March 21, Berlin’s Senator for the Interior, Iris Spranger (SPD), called for an effective digital violence protection law. Source: rbb

Berlin’s Interior Senator calls for digital violence protection law

Berlin’s Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) is calling for an effective digital violence protection law. “Anyone who stalks, threatens, or humiliates people online attacks their dignity just as they would on the street,” she told the German Press Agency. And Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) announced plans to quickly introduce legislation for better protection against digital violence. This comes in response to a report in “Der Spiegel” in which actress Collien Fernandes makes serious allegations against her ex-husband, actor Christian Ulmen. The draft law will criminalize the creation and distribution of pornographic deepfakes. Source: rbb

Criticism of the police unwelcome

The Senate Department for the Interior spent €200,000 on an assessment of Berlin’s right to demonstrate. But the study’s findings are far from what the department wants. The authors, a research team from the Berlin School of Economics and Law (HWR), are critical of the police and are calling for relaxation of the assembly freedom law. Therefore, the administration of Senator for the Interior Iris Spranger (SPD) apparently decided to discredit the evaluation even before its publication, next week. “The study has serious methodological flaws,” criticizes State Secretary for the Interior Christian Hochgrebe (SPD). Meanwhile, project leader Hartmut Aden affirms “The study has a very comprehensive methodology section.” Source: taz

News from Germany

German weapons: more exports to Gulf States and Ukraine

German arms exports require approval, which can sometimes take time. Considering the wars in Ukraine and the Persian Gulf, the German government is simplifying the export of certain arms to the two regions with immediate effect – at least for a couple of months. Specifically, this concerns weapons and military equipment used for air and sea defense – that is, for example, those capable of repelling attacks with missiles and drones. A general export license (AGG) will apply to these products for the next six months, as announced by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in Berlin. Source: dw

“Into the Countryside”

“Into the countryside” is the AfD’s new motto, which is aimed at establishing a presence in places with few village pubs or community centers. This has apparently paid off in Rhineland-Palatinate´s election last week. Instead of voting in protest, many choose the AfD out of conviction. Even with the “not the most convincing candidate,” the party garnered 19.5% of the vote with Jan Bölliger, a very good result for the AfD in a western German state. The AfD managed to gain around 35,000 votes from the SPD and around 40,000 from the CDU. Many younger people voted for the AfD. Source: tagesschau

Germany’s water resources shrink dramatically

Global freshwater resources are shrinking faster than previously assumed. New analyses show that more and more regions are falling into deficit, according to the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences. The data paints a frightening picture: the proportion of regions with unusually low water resources has more than tripled since 2009. Germany is also affected, too. Despite a comparatively wet year in 2024, with around 15% more precipitation than usual, this effect didn’t last long: in 2025, it was significantly too dry again. By the end of last year, Germany was short around 25 billion tons of water compared to normal levels. Source: n-tv

News from Berlin

Naidoo at the Victory Column, Neo-Nazis in Mitte and Marzahn

Three right-wing demonstrations kept Berlin’s anti-fascists busy on March 14. Xavier Naidoo, who, in addition to his musical comeback, is once again publicly spreading conspiracy theories, was among those who mobilized for the demonstration at the Victory Column. 10,000 participants were registered, but an estimated 500 attended. There was no sign of any counter-protests at the Victory Column. In contrast, an estimated 200 Antifa activists gathered at Potsdamer Platz to demonstrate against a neo-Nazi march. Around 160 staunch neo-Nazis also marched in Marzahn this Saturday, mobilized by the far right and nationalist micro-party Der Dritte Weg (The Third Way). Antifascist counter-protesters also gathered there. Source: taz

Public prosecutor’s office investigates initial suspicion against Wedl-Wilson

For weeks, Culture Senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson has been under fire for awarding Senate Chancellery funding to projects by CDU colleagues. As reported by the Tagesspiegel, the public prosecutor’s office is now investigating the case, examining whether there is initial suspicion of a crime, such as breach of trust. The background to the controversy is the awarding of funds for projects against antisemitism. According to reports, CDU politician Christian Goiny allegedly pressured Wedl-Wilson to quickly release €2.6 million in funding. The CDU budget expert has repeatedly rejected accusations of undue influence on the allocation of funding for antisemitism projects. Source: bz

News from Germany

Die Linke in Baden-Württemberg: a brief performance analysis

Disappointment was written all over the faces of Die Linke members when the results of the Baden-Württemberg election were announced: 4.4%. That was below expectations, especially since Die Linke had been consistently polling at six to seven percent until shortly before the election. Accordingly, Die Linke had been quite confident of entering the state parliament in the southwest for the first time. Despite failing, the party sees itself as strengthened after the elections. Source: nd

Germany’s automotive industry: suppliers reorient themselves

Electric cars and declining sales—the automotive industry’s suppliers also feel the effects of the upheaval. Since 2019, suppliers alone have cut around 55,000 jobs. Tight margins, common for companies which manufacture parts and components for combustion engines, mean many lack the funds for investment. Those who can seek new business areas. An example is EBM-Papst, which now focuses on fans and ventilators for data centers and hospitals. Despite such challenges, Germany has become the world’s second-largest producer of electric vehicles. According to IW Consult, around 182,000 people are now employed nationwide in the three “opportunity areas” of electrification, automation, and connectivity. Source: dw

Antisemitism Commissioner Büttner leaves Die Linke

The antisemitism commissioner for the state of Brandenburg, Andreas Büttner, has ended his membership in Die Linke. He doesn’t like his decision, but he considers it a “necessary step.” The Jüdische Allgemeine was the first to report on his departure. The reason for his resignation was a resolution which passed at the Lower Saxony Die Linke state convention over the weekend, “Rejection of Zionism.” Büttner writes he can no longer remain a member of this party without betraying his own convictions, claiming that anyone who deprecates Israel as a “genocidal state” is adopting narratives which are part of modern antisemitic ideology. Source: spiegel

Söder calls for mini nuclear power plants in Germany

Given the debate about energy security in Germany, Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder (CSU) has advocated for a test run of a so-called mini nuclear power plant. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) called the nuclear phase-out “irreversible,” but also expressed his regret about it. The SPD’s energy expert in the Bundestag, Nina Scheer, described Söder’s proposal as “absurd.” Julia Verlinden (Greens) told the AFP news agency that mini nuclear power plants are “a particularly expensive and risky technology.” Recently, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) has announced new EU funding for research and investment in nuclear energy at a nuclear energy summit in France. Source: tagesschau

Union ver.di calls for public transport warning strike

The union ver.di is currently conducting collective bargaining negotiations for public transport employees in almost all German states. Agreements have already been reached in Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein. “In many states, we are unfortunately still at the very beginning,” ver.di Vice Chair Christine Behle stated on March 16. In Bavaria, Brandenburg, Saarland, Thuringia, and at the Hamburg public transport company (Hochbahn), negotiations are also taking place regarding higher wages and salaries. However, Brandenburg (and Berlin) will not participate in the announced warning strike in public transport on March 18 and 19. Source: rbb

Germany will meet its 2025 climate targets—but only just

Greenhouse gas emissions in Germany fell by only 0.1% in 2025 compared to 2024. Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) spoke of “stagnation in many areas” and urged significantly greater efforts. According to the German Environment Agency (UBA), emissions in 2025 amounted to around 649 million tons of CO₂ equivalents. While this means Germany fell below the total amount permitted for the year under the Climate Protection Act, the reduction was significantly smaller than in previous years. Overall, emissions are now 48% below 1990 levels—the legal target stipulates a 65% reduction by 2030. Schneider announced that the cabinet is to adopt a new climate protection program on March 25. Source: dw

Müller Milk billionaire proposes CDU-AfD alliance

Entrepreneur Theo Müller, known among other things for the Müller Milk brand, has proposed that the CDU in Baden-Württemberg form a coalition with the AfD. Speaking to the Bild, Müller said: “The CDU doesn’t have to shrink itself and become Cem Özdemir’s junior partner.” Müller’s relationship with the AfD has been the subject of speculation and controversy for some time: last February, he lost a lawsuit against Campact; the point of contention was the statement “Theo Müller supports the AfD.” Campact is allowed to continue making this claim. In the southern German state a Green-Black coalition has been governing since 2021, and this is likely to continue. Source: bz

News From Berlin

Weimer removes left-wing bookstores from the prize list

Wolfram Weimer (independent), the Minister of State for Culture, is once again intervening politically in cultural affairs. Having already acted in the context of the debate surrounding Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle, he is now intervened in the German Bookstore Prize. He has excluded three bookstores already shortlisted by the jury from the award ceremony: the Berlin bookstore “Schwankende Weltkugel” (Shaky Globe), the Bremen “Golden Shop,” and the Göttingen “Rote Straße” (Red Street). Weimer justified his decision with “findings relevant to the protection of the constitution,” without specifying what these were. Those affected intend to take legal action. The prize ceremony has been cancelled following the backslash. Source: spiegel

 

“From the River to the Sea” – with the blessing of the police

Anyone on Berlin’s streets who shouts a single phrase of the pro-Palestinian slogan “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” risks arrest, charges, and criminal proceedings. However, when a Christian association with the opposite agenda proclaims that “God in the Bible grants the land of Canaan ‘from the river to the sea’ exclusively and irrevocably to the Jewish people,” this apparently poses no problem. On the contrary: Berlin’s chief of police, Barbara Slowik Meisel, even participated as a guest of honor at the “Israel Day Berlin-Brandenburg 2026” organised by the association “Christians on the Side of Israel”— the very organization that questions the right of Palestinians to exist in Israel and Palestine. Source: taz

 

Tricia Tuttle remains director of the Berlinale – but with conditions

The potential dismissal of Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle last week has immediately mobilized the film industry, and she will remain director of the Berlin International Film Festival. However, there will be certain conditions in the future. This is the outcome of a meeting of the festival’s supervisory board, the Federal Government’s Cultural Events in Berlin (KBB), as Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer (no party) announced on March 4. Plans include an “advisory forum” and the development of a code of conduct for all cultural events funded by the German state, Weimer explained. Source: dw

 

A Berlin factory and the controversy over militarisation in Germany

A factory in Wedding is in the midst of a controversial transformation. Starting this summer, most of its employees will be tasked with manufacturing grenades for large-caliber ammunition—without any actual explosives being present on site, as the owner, Pierburg, a subsidiary of the industrial conglomerate Rheinmetall, emphasises. Activists from the “Berlin Alliance Against Arms Production” (BBgW), a group of around 30 organizations fighting against militarisation of German industry, have tried to talk to the employees, without much success. In a statement to DW, Rheinmetall said converting the factory to weapons production was a response to economic developments “characterised by shrinking sales in the automotive sector, coupled with a huge increase in demand in the military sector.” Source: dw

 

News From Germany

“The long-term is disastrous”

In an interview, “nd” reports that, despite a settlement has been in place for two weeks in the public sector wage dispute in the German states, there are still issues. For example, the raise of 5.8% which employees are to receive in three stages over 27 months will not be enough to cover inflation. There is also the belief that the long contract term of 27 months is a disastrous flaw, as it’s only slightly shorter than the term demanded by the collective bargaining association of the federal states. In this case, a demand for a twelve-month contract term should be a central objective, to enhance the mobilisation of the employees. Source: nd-aktuell

 

AfD achieves around 19% in Baden-Württemberg: a poisoned success for the “fighting dwarf”

The Greens won in Baden-Württemberg and the AfD doubled its result there: Around 19%, the third-strongest party. For many in the AfD, this now feels nevertheless like a defeat. After all, its politicians know the AfD is far from a majority government in the southwest, and no one wants to form a coalition with them. Its candidate, Markus Frohnmaier, managed the feat of spending election week not in Baden-Württemberg, but in Washington, D.C., where he networked with the MAGA movement. Nevertheless, the AfD is likely to emerge from election night with a boost once the result shows how stable its electorate has become. Source: tagesspiel

 

Asylum policy and family separation

The Bundestag decided in June 2025 the special protection of the family, as emphasized in Article 6 of the “Basic Law” (Grundgesezt) would not apply to refugees, or would apply even less than before. For those who came to Germany as minors from war zones, this means that they will be separated from their relatives for longer. Last week, Jan Köstering (Left Party) asked the federal government about the consequences of that measure. Daniela Ludwig (CSU), from the Federal Ministry of the Interior, stated this measure had “significantly reduced” the number of people entering the German social welfare system: according to ministry figures, only 150 visas for family reunification with beneficiaries of subsidiary protection have been issued since August 2025. Source: nd-aktuell

 

Germany is looking for a female president

In one year, Germany’s head of state will be re-elected. Many would like to see a woman at the helm for the first time. But who? Chanceler Friedrich Merz (CDU) plans to announce a name in September. The Green Party suggested former Chancellor Angela Merkel as a candidate, but she immediately dismissed that proposal. Other names such as Julia Klöckner (CDU), Ilse Aigner (CSU), and Karin Prien (CDU) are also frequently mentioned, each of them with gains and eventual political constraints. Even the name of a writer, Juli Zeh, is being considered since she already has administrative experience as a volunteer constitutional judge in her state. Source: dw

News from Berlin

German citizenship applications: around 5% rejected in Berlin

According to figures from the Berlin State Office for Immigration (LEA), cited by Interior State Secretary Christian Hochgrebe (SPD), the LEA’s naturalisation department rejected one in 20 citizenship applications in 2025: 39,034 Berliners were successfully naturalised last year, while 1,931 had their applications rejected. Hochgrebe said there were multiple reasons why applications might be rejected, for example, if information is missing, inconsistent or incorrect. In some applications, workers may suspect documents have been forged. Since operations were centralised at the LEA, staff numbers have nearly doubled, and the application process has been almost entirely digitised. According to Hochgrebe, digitisation means security standards are now “significantly higher”. Source: iamexpat

An example

On February 25, Bild announced that Berlinale festival director Tricia Tuttle was about to be dismissed, not only because of Syrian-Palestinian director Abdallah Alkhatib’s speech at the closing gala, but also because a photo taken before that shows her with the Alkhatib film crew and a Palestinian flag. However, making an example out of Tuttle did not work. Tuttle has received a great deal of solidarity: more than 600 filmmakers signed an open letter on the “Future of the Berlinale,” and the German Cultural Council, the Federal Association of Directors and a group of Israeli directors have expressed their support. Source: jW

EU: armaments instead of urban development?

The European Commission is urging member states to use funding from cohesion policy—funds intended for the social and economic development of regions—for the expansion of military infrastructure. The Commission is planning 4 multimodal corridors for “short-term and large-scale military movements” in Europe. For the period 2021 to 2027, Berlin is earmarked for approximately €680 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Whether Berlin and Brandenburg could also be directly involved in a “dual-use” infrastructure (i.e, for civilian and military purposes) is unclear: the Berlin Senate claims to have no knowledge about it. Source: BZ

“NOlympia” and the potential withdrawal from the Olympic bid

The Berlin Senate anticipates that withdrawing its bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games would incur administrative costs of “up to one million euros.” This is according to the official cost estimate from the Senate Department for the citizens’ initiative “For Berlin—Against the Olympics. We say no to a bid for the Olympic Games in 2036, 2040, and 2044.” The “NOlympia” alliance sharply criticized the Senate Department for the Interior for its calculations. “This cost estimate is a political smokescreen,” said Gabriele Hiller, spokesperson for the alliance. “The Senate is trying to convince the people of Berlin that it would be more expensive not to host the Games than to hold them.” Source: tagesspiegel

“Wing of Zion” at the Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)

While fighting between Israel and Iran continues to escalate in the Middle East, the Israeli government plane has been moved from the crisis region to Berlin. The Boeing 767 used for government travel, known as “Wing of Zion,” is now safely parked on the tarmac at BER Airport, away from the fighting—apparently as a precautionary measure. BER declined to comment on the aircraft’s whereabouts when asked, and the Israeli embassy also did not initially respond to a request for comment. According to Israeli media reports, the aircraft had been moved out of the country during previous conflicts to protect it from missile attacks. Source: morgenpost

Protest against Görlitzer Park closure remains peaceful

After years of debate, Görlitzer Park in Berlin-Kreuzberg was closed for the first time at night on March 1. Earlier in the evening, around 300 people protested the closure at a demonstration, partly moderated by a representative of the Green Party. They gathered in the park for a concert under the motto “Rave against the Zaun” (Rave against the Fence). Approximately 200 police officers were deployed. According to reports, the protest remained peaceful, with one person arrested. In the future, the 16 entrances will be closed every evening with the newly constructed gates, as the Senate had announced. Exiting the park will still be possible via revolving doors. Source: rbb

News from Germany

AfD wins summary proceedings regarding classification as “right-wing extremist”

The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) is not permitted to classify and treat the AfD as “confirmed right-wing extremist” for the time being. The Cologne Administrative Court has ruled that the federal authority must await the outcome of the main proceedings. The court noted that the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution based its assessment exclusively on publicly available sources. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution must also refrain from publicly announcing such a classification. An urgent application by the AfD has thus been granted in essence. The decision can still be appealed. Source: jW

Tough measures against Left Youth spokesperson

Martha Chiara Wüthrich (Die Linke) was elected last November to the seven-member Federal Spokesperson Council of the Left Youth Solid, the party’s youth organization. However, according to a decision by the Thuringian State Arbitration Commission of Die Linke, all her membership rights have been revoked for two years, and she is no longer welcome in the party. She is alleged to have made “antisemitic” and “violence-glorifying” statements and to have relativized the Holocaust. Wüthrich intends to first examine the possibility of challenging the Thuringian decision on the grounds of “procedural errors.” She can also appeal to the federal arbitration commission. Source: nd

Fritz-Kola, a supporter of the CDU?

Fritz-Kola was one of the companies which sponsored the CDU Party Conference last month. Given the company’s background, it sounds strange. Such support caused many negative reactions online, even calling for a boycott of the beverage. According to a statement published on Instagram and Facebook by founder and CEO Mirco Wolf Wiegert, that was not an easy decision for the company but considered necessary in the interest of democracy and an open society. Nevertheless, some commentators accuse the Hamburg-based company of lobbying, since the sugar tax was discussed at the conference. Fritz-Kola is against it, advocating instead for conscious consumption. Source: mopo

Hennigsdorf CDU Votes with AfD for Citizens’ Militia

The Hennigsdorf city council (SVV) intends to establish a kind of citizens’ militia to strengthen the “subjective sense of security” near its train station. Five CDU councilors, four councilors from the “Citizens for Hennigsdorf” voters’ association, and the entire seven-member AfD faction voted in favor. The Brandenburg branch of the AfD is classified as a confirmed right-wing extremist organization by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Police see no benefit from the initiative: the head of the Hennigsdorf police, Chief Inspector Gerald Bliß, had made it very clear how pointless he considered the project. He was familiar with such security partnerships from neighborhoods or allotment garden associations, Bliß said. But they “should originate from the grassroots.” Source: taz